This opportunity is available to:
Anyone
Subject: PROFESSOR ROBERT PUTNAM SEEKS POST-DOCS AND/OR QUANTITATIVE
R.A FOR INTERESTING PROJECTS ON SOCIAL RELIGION AND EQUALITY
Prof. Robert D. Putnam seeks 1-2 skilled quantitative R.A.s and 1-2
able Post-Docs for various large applied research projects:
The topics include
(a) The changing role of religion in American communities;
(b) A comparison of the role of religion in the US, the UK, and Ireland;
(c) Trends in American social inequality, especially among youth, over
the last half century; and
(d) Patterns of civic participation by social class in America over
time and across space.
Crucial qualifications are:
(a) High competence in contemporary quantitative techniques in social
science (especially survey analysis);
(b) Personal responsibility and willingness and ability to work hard,
carefully, and without immediate supervision;
(c) A good sense for significant questions (and a nose for significant
patterns in the data) and persistence in probing for robustness of
findings in these data; and
(d) General familiarity with the literature on social and political
participation. Previous work in one or more of our areas of interest
is a plus, but not mandatory.
The quantitative work is substantively interesting, statistical survey
analysis that can be challenging methodologically.
For Post-Doc position:
- Work could begin at the start or end of summer 2009 and run for 12-15 months.
- The Post-Doc Fellows will be part of a research team that usually
convenes every 2-3 weeks with Prof. Putnam and Tom Sander to exchange
and explore findings. Past participants have found these exchanges are
highly interesting and collaborative.
- We expect the Post-Doc[s] to spend roughly 25 hours a week working
on the core research projects, although many of these research
projects could lead to individual publications for the Post-Doc. For
Post-Doc candidates interested in a position involving more hours of
work, an expanded stipend in exchange for increased expectations could
also be arranged. Pay will in any event be competitive.
For Quantitative RA positions
- Hours: 10-12 hours/week on average.
- Work could begin immediately and extend into Summer 2009 or beyond
- Work time is entirely flexible, subject to making steady progress on
the project.
- The work is individual, but as noted above, we meet periodically to
review and discuss individual research reports.
If interested in either of these positions (quantitative RA or
post-doc) please provide Tom Sander (
tom_sander@harvard.edu):
* a cover note (describe your qualifications and relevant experience,
as well as your substantive research interests);
* a copy of your CV and
* a paper that conveys your analytic competence.
Review of applications will begin on February 16, 2009, and we will
call candidates for interviews in the following two weeks. We expect
to make one or more Post-Doc appointments by mid-March. RA
applications will be considered as received.
Thomas Sander
Executive Director
Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America
Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University
79 JFK Street, Taubman 364, Cambridge, MA 02138
T - 617.496-2764 F - 617.495.1589
tom_sander@harvard.eduwww.hks.harvard.edu/saguaro