"Associate Research Scientist - Demography of Aging, Disability and Care"

The Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan invites applications for an Associate Research Scientist in its Survey Research Center (SRC).

The Associate Research Scientist will serve as a survey methodologist for the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) and collaborate on externally funded projects related to aging, disability, dementia, and care. NHATS and NSOC are co-led by faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. The studies are an integral part of SRC's program on the Demography of Aging, Disability and Care.

As the world's largest academic social science survey and research organization, the Institute for Social Research isr.umich.edu is a leader in developing and applying new social science methods. The Institute's Survey Research Center conducts investigator-initiated, survey-based research on theoretical and applied problems of both social and scientific importance.

The Associate Research Scientist will address methodological issues related to:

• the collection and use of NHATS/NSOC by: undertaking methodological investigations aimed at improving representativeness and ensuring quality of NHATS and NSOC data
• developing technical papers and/or publications documenting methodological issues of interest to the user community
• updating and expanding online short courses and summer workshops and other educational resources for researchers
• leading AI applications designed to improve the quality of NHATS/NSOC data, and
• participating in design and field-monitoring activities

The Associate Research Scientist will also:

• prepare proposals for funded research related to aging, disability and care (independently and as part of the NHATS/NSOC research team)
• develop a related scholarly research agenda, and
• provide, as needed, supervision to project staff, including research assistants, data analysts and undergraduate students and pre- and post-doctoral fellows

The Associate Research Scientist position requires:

• a Ph.D. in survey methodology (preferred) or related discipline
• at least 6 years of experience in an academic setting conducting survey methods research related to national studies on aging
• a demonstrated interest in aging and caregiving research as evidenced by a scholarly publication record, and experience analyzing NHATS and NSOC data
• a track record of obtaining small federal grants and/or pilot awards and contributing to federally funded research projects on aging
• demonstrated experience in evaluating changes in study design, addressing missing data for national data collections, training the research community on how to incorporate complex sample designs into analyses, and using AI methods to improve aging-related survey research
• experience supervising and/or mentoring students, trainees or project staff
• strong written, oral and statistical skills

The position is a year-round (12-month) appointment located in Ann Arbor, MI. The position begins May 2026, contingent on funding.

Applicants are invited to submit a cover letter describing their interest in and qualifications for the position; a curriculum vitae; a research statement and two recent publications. Inquiries should be submitted to srcsearches@umich.edu. Applications are due January 5, 2026.