Stanford
SPARQ

Multiple Positions - Research Scientist

Overview

Stanford SPARQ is a behavioral science “do tank” located in the Department of Psychology at Stanford University. SPARQ builds research-driven partnerships with industry leaders and changemakers to combat bias, reduce disparities, and drive culture change. We work in the areas of criminal justice, economic mobility, education, health, media, and technology. Our Faculty Co-Directors are Professors Jennifer Eberhardt and Hazel Rose Markus; our Executive Director is Dr. MarYam Hamedani. 

The work we do begins with developing a solid social scientific foundation for change, including producing state-of-the-art research publications as well as practitioner-facing insights and tools. Sample SPARQ projects include: using police body-worn camera footage as big data to quantify the impact of existing law enforcement practices on communities and identifying actionable ways to address racial disparities; developing and testing the impact of cultural narratives to combat the stigmatization and racialization of poverty and inequality; and designing and evaluating strategies and tools to fight racial bias across domains (e.g., tech and social media, entertainment and television, finance and investment). We are a community of bridge builders between research and application who want to put social psychology to work in the world, bust the basic-applied binary, and learn from practitioners working to fight inequality and inspire cultural change. Read more about SPARQ and our team at: https://sparq.stanford.edu/.

Research Scientists will work with SPARQ directors and staff, faculty affiliates, practitioner partners, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students to originate, execute, and report social psychological research that centers pressing social problems, creates new knowledge, and prioritizes impact. They will collaborate closely with SPARQ leadership and the team to design and execute the center’s research, interventions, and research translation projects. Research Scientists will also contribute to the center’s practitioner and public facing outreach and communications, as well as other special projects and initiatives that further the center’s mission.

We plan to hire up to two Research Scientists to join our team in the summer of 2024. We welcome applicants at different experience levels, from recent Ph.D. graduates to those who have worked in academic, alt-academic, or public/private sector roles. If you are graduating in 2024, your Ph.D. must be conferred by the start date of the position.

For these positions, we are seeking candidates who love to be out in the world just as much as in the lab, are ready to roll up their sleeves to tackle complex social issues, and who thrive working as part of a dynamic, collaborative, and interdisciplinary team. Ideal candidates are well-trained social scientists who want to put their training to work in applied, real-world settings and in direct collaboration with practitioners and communities.

Responsibilities

  • Oversee the progress of multi-year, interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder research projects; collaborate with public and private sector partners
  • Successfully project manage large, interdisciplinary research teams to deliver results on time and on budget
  • Design and conduct needs assessments, experiments, surveys, field studies, interview studies, content analyses, and interventions; especially outside of the lab in field-based settings
  • Collect, analyze, and interpret quantitative and qualitative data
  • Present research findings at researcher- and practitioner-oriented meetings, workshops, and conferences; present work tailored to multiple audiences and diverse stakeholders; translate research findings and evidence-based insights
  • Prepare research reports, summaries, and articles for practitioner partners, peer-reviewed journals, and other outlets
  • Contribute to writing grants and contracts to engage/retain public and private sector partners in research endeavors; report progress to partners and funders
  • Design compelling and accessible evidence-based tools and products for practitioners (e.g., toolkits, trainings)
  • Contribute to the center’s outreach and communications efforts
  • Mentor junior SPARQ research staff, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate research assistants

Requirements

  • A Ph.D. in social psychology or a related field with significant training in quantitative, experimental social psychology
  • Demonstrable skills in advancing psychological and behavioral science research from conceptualization to publication
  • A readiness to partner with practitioners in public and private sector organizations on research in naturalistic settings. Applicants with experience working with and/or managing relationships with public or private sector organizations is a plus; experience working with interdisciplinary research teams and communicating research to nonacademic audiences is also a plus.
  • Applicants should be able to demonstrate: a commitment to SPARQ’s mission; excellent written, oral; and visual communications skills; the ability to work well and thrive in an array of complex environments, under changing conditions, and with people from a range of diverse professional and personal backgrounds; and a passion for people and learning about their lived experiences
  • Proven ability to design and conduct randomized controlled trials, analyze and interpret data, publish results in top-tier journals, and present results at national conferences; experience with survey design and online research platforms; experience with interview studies, content analysis, and field experiments is a plus
  • Strong statistical and data analysis skills are a plus; proficiency in Excel, SPSS, and R preferred; data science background is a plus
  • Experience teaching or mentoring students

Application Requirements

Please prepare the following materials to be submitted using this online form. Applicants will also be asked to provide their contact information, brief background information, and contact information for up to three references.

  • A cover letter (detailing the applicant’s interest in the position and how their career would be advanced by the position; should be no more than two pages max)
  • Curriculum vitae or resume
  • Academic writing sample—i.e., a writing sample for academic audiences (for example, a journal article or manuscript)
  • Nonacademic writing sample—i.e., a writing sample for practitioner audiences or the public (for example, an essay or op-ed, policy brief, or report)
  • For applicants finishing their Ph.D. or postdoctoral position, unofficial graduate transcripts 

Applications received by April 15 will receive first consideration.

Compensation, Benefits, and Additional Information

  • Research Scientists will receive competitive compensation (depending on experience level) and standard employee benefits
  • The positions are full-time, hybrid, and based at Stanford University
  • Stanford University is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer, committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce. It welcomes applications from women, members of minority groups, veterans, persons with disabilities, and others who would bring additional dimensions to the university's research and teaching mission. 
  • We particularly encourage applications from women, minority, and first-generation Ph.D. recipients, and candidates from a broad diversity of Ph.D.-granting institutions

Questions should be directed to stanford_sparq@stanford.edu. Please include “SPARQ Research Scientist Position” in the subject line.