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2010 – 2011 Post-doctoral Saguaro Seminar Research Fellowship

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Application deadline: February 15, 2010

Type of Position: Postdoc
JEL Classification(s): Z
Type of Institution: University
Institution: The Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America, Harvard Kennedy School School of Government

Contact: Kyle Gibson
Harvard Kennedy School School of Government
Kyle_Gibson@harvard.edu

Description:

The Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America seeks applicants for a Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University to conduct research on social capital, broadly defined to include issues of social inequality, social solidarity, and civic engagement.

The Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America project at Harvard Kennedy School will award a competitive one year post-doctoral fellowship – the Post-doctoral Saguaro Seminar Research Fellow– for academic year 2010-2011. We have several large projects underway, each of which involves quantitative survey analysis. The researcher(s) we recruit will collaborate with other junior and senior staff across this array of projects, depending on their own scholarly interests. The Post-doctoral Saguaro Seminar Research Fellow will work both on his/her own agenda and on the shared agenda of the Saguaro program.

The topics include:
* The impact of hard times on civic engagement;
* A comparison of the role of religion in the US, the UK, and Ireland;
* Trends in American social inequality, especially among youth, over the last half century; and
* Patterns of civic participation by social class in America over time and across space; and
* Analysis of a new three-wave national panel survey on religion and civic life.

We are examining questions such as:
• What is the impact of sustained unemployment on civic engagement?
• Are social and political cleavages growing—e.g., between young and old, or haves and have-nots?
• Does religion foster or impair democratic citizenship?

The crucial qualifications are:
* High competence in contemporary quantitative techniques in social science, especially survey analysis;
* Personal responsibility and willingness to work hard, carefully, and without immediate supervision;
* A good sense for significant questions (and a nose for significant patterns in data) and persistence in probing for robustness of findings in these data; and
* 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.

Publications:
The position offers significant opportunities for independent publication across a wide range of topics, both substantive and methodological, often using new, high-quality data.

Timing:
Work could begin at the start or end of summer 2010 and run for 12-15 months.

The Post-Doc(s) will be part of a research team that usually convenes every 2-3 weeks to exchange and explore findings. Past participants have found these meetings 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 (as indicated) could lead to individual publications.
For candidates interested in a position involving more hours of work on the core projects, a Post-Doc position with expanded stipend and increased expectations might also be arranged. Pay will in any event be competitive.

Please send to Kyle Gibson by email
(Kyle_Gibson@harvard.edu) the following -

* A cover note that describes your qualifications and relevant experience, as well as your substantive research interests, and interest in the fellowship, detailing what has been done and is left to complete on your dissertation.
* A current CV/resume.
* Up to 2 writing samples, together totaling no more than 80 pages, demonstrating your strong quantitative abilities and your research experience, ideally in a field related to our research topics above.
* Three letters of recommendation must accompany your
application in sealed envelopes, signed by the referee: one from your dissertation director and two from faculty members familiar with your work.
* An official graduate transcript

We prefer to receive applications by FEBRUARY 15, 2010.
Applications will be considered as they are received and therefore encourage applicants to apply sooner than the deadline.

Updates and details

Please check the Saguaro's web site for updates and further details on the application.

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