Post Doctoral Research Associate in the Economics of Technological Change

University of Oxford - Smith School, School of Geography and the Environment

Location:OxfordSalary:£39,424 to £41,636 Grade 7Hours:Full TimeContract Type:Fixed-Term/ContractPlaced On:31st October 2025Closes:5th January 2026

Location:South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY

Join the Oxford Martin Programme on Forecasting Technological Change at the University of Oxford, led by Dr François Lafond, Prof J. Doyne Farmer, and Prof Max Roser. This pioneering programme aims to understand and predict how technologies evolve — from artificial intelligence to net-zero innovations in energy, transport, and carbon capture. By building a global database on technological progress, we seek to answer key questions about what drives innovation, how technologies diffuse, and how we can forecast their future impact.

As a Researcher, you’ll play a central role in shaping this ambitious project. You’ll lead a small team of research assistants, design and manage new methodologies, and contribute to high-impact, peer-reviewed publications. You’ll collaborate with world-class researchers within the Complexity Economics group at the Institute for New Economic Thinking, while also serving as an Oxford Martin Fellow.

This post is fixed-term for 2 years and offered on a full time basis (1 FTE / 37.5 hours)

What We Offer

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ well-being, and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans.

Application Process

You will be required to upload a covering letter with a supporting statement, CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application (via the 'Apply' button above). In your supporting statement, please explain how you meet each of the selection criteria found in the job description, and why you would like to do this role. See guidance at https://www.jobs.ox.ac.uk/cv-and-supporting-statement.

Any technical questions related to this vacancy can be sent to:recruit@ouce.ox.ac.uk

The closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on 5 January 2026. Only applications submitted by this time will be considered.

The University of Oxford and The School of Geography and the Environment are Silver Athena SWAN holders. Applications are particularly welcome and encouraged from women, black, and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in posts in The School of Geography and the Environment. The School of Geography and the Environment are committed to equality and values diversity