Postdoctoral Fellow: State and Local Policy Research (2026)

Position Title:

Postdoctoral Fellow: State and Local Policy Research (2026)

Department:

The Rockefeller Center

Position Type:

Fellowship

Qualifications:

Ph.D., or ABD students with a degree received by the start date, in a social science discipline (e.g., political science, economics, sociology, geography). We welcome applications from emerging scholars who do not yet have a record of publications in peer-reviewed journals. Ideally, applicants will have the ability to help formulate proposals for external grant funding.

Application Instructions:

Please provide the following materials electronically via Interfolio https://apply.interfolio.com/183302.

1. Letter of application
2. Curriculum vitae, including names and contact information for three references
3. Two writing samples

Review of applications will begin on April 6, 2026 and continue until the position is filled.

For inquiries or questions, please send a message to: rockefeller.director@dartmouth.edu.

Description:

The Rockefeller Center for Public Policy (the "Center" or "Rocky") at Dartmouth seeks to fill at least one postdoctoral position for the 2026-2027 academic year. The Center serves as a catalyst for public policy research, teaching, and deliberation. It is dedicated to providing an interdisciplinary non-partisan perspective on policy-related topics. Additionally, Rocky fosters a commitment to the ideals of public service and informed public debate exemplified by Nelson A. Rockefeller, former governor of New York State and Vice President of the United States.

The Center seeks applications from qualified postdoctoral candidates with expertise in state and local policy research. The postdoctoral fellow will assist with qualitative and quantitative research on domestic childcare policy, with a specific focus on retention and recruitment of the early childhood education workforce. We are especially interested in applicants who have substantive interests in policy concerning education, housing, workforce, the environment, health, social policy, or the criminal justice system. Competitive candidates will have well-developed data management and analytical skills, experience conducting in-depth interviews, and broad methodological training, including familiarity with quantitative and qualitative approaches. Expertise in survey methods is helpful as is the ability to teach courses in public policy.

The fellow will help manage the day-to-day operations of the Class of 1964 Policy Research Shop (PRS) at the Rockefeller Center, a student-staffed, faculty-mentored non-partisan policy research enterprise that serves public officials in the Vermont and New Hampshire state legislatures, local government entities, and non-profit organizations. The PRS has produced over 250 policy reports since being founded twenty years ago. Management duties include mentoring PRS students on specific research projects, soliciting projects from state and local government officials, and preparing students for public testimony to state legislative committees, commissions, and councils on their research.

At Dartmouth, postdoctoral fellows will be part of a social science scholarly community beyond Rocky that includes: the Departments of Government, Economics, Sociology, History, Anthropology, and Geography; the Political Economy Project; the Dickey Center for International Understanding; the Leslie Humanities Center, the Wright Center for the Study of Computation and Just Communities, the Neukom Institute for Computational Science, the Irving Institute for Energy and Society, and the Ethics Institute. Postdoctoral fellows also have access to professional development opportunities through the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

Dartmouth is committed to academic excellence and encourages the open exchange of ideas within a culture of mutual respect. Dartmouth welcomes people with different backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives and believes that diversity in all its forms enhances academic excellence. Applicants should address in their cover letter how their research, teaching, service, and/or life experiences prepare them to serve Dartmouth's commitment to academic excellence in an environment that is welcoming to all.

This is a one-year position with the possibility of renewal. Salary is expected to be at least $70,000 per year in addition to a benefits package, computer support, moving allowance, and funds to support research. Postdoctoral fellows typically teach one course per year in Dartmouth's academic quarter system on a topic to be determined in consultation with Center directors. We are especially interested in applicants with the ability to teach courses on public policy, budgeting, bureaucracy, American government or related topics. The anticipated starting date is July 1, 2026, but this is subject to availability and negotiation.