Postdoctoral Research Scholar 0-5 yrs Experience

Overview

• This position is open until filled with an initial application review to take place after May 7, 2026.
• To recieve full consideration, a cover letter needs to be submitted along with a resume and completed employment application.
• The salary for this position is budgeted at $5,858.67 per month and is non-negotiable.
• Please note that due to the potential for the contamination of study samples, the incumbent must be able to confirm that they are not exposed to active use or residue from tobacco, electronic cigarettes, or cannabis.

San Diego State University's Center for Tobacco and the Environment (CTE), co-directed by Georg E. Matt, PhD, and Thomas Novotny, MD, PhD, is an extramurally funded center established in 2022. CTE's mission is to prevent, reduce, and eliminate tobacco's toxic legacy of environmental pollution and harm to human health caused by decades of commercial tobacco sales and use through the creation of an open, community-engaged, inter- and transdisciplinary research center that serves the diverse communities affected by the environmental impacts of commercial tobacco sales and use. CTE provides an organizational platform for the next generation of research that seeks solutions to human exposure and environmental contamination resulting from decades of tobacco use, and contributes to California's comprehensive policy initiatives to end commercial tobacco sales and use by 2035.

CTE is home to a well-established group of multi-disciplinary scholars from different colleges at SDSU, including Health and Human Services, Sciences, Arts & Letters, and Professional Studies & Fine Arts, whose work focuses on the environmental impacts of commercial tobacco use. Researchers at CTE conduct multiple extramurally funded research projects focused on tobacco and the indoor and outdoor environment, including the Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center and the Policy Research Center for Tobacco and the Environment. Established in 2019, the mission of the Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center is to disseminate thirdhand smoke-related information to the general public, stakeholders, and tobacco control advocates. The Resource Center's interactive website is the primary dissemination channel, supported by a robust social media presence (i.e., Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram), webinars, and print material such as newsletter articles and press releases. The Policy Research Center for Tobacco and the Environment, established in 2023, has two main policy goals: (1) reduce tobacco product waste to protect local environments, and (2) protect indoor and outdoor environments from the toxic pollutants caused by commercial tobacco. Both centers are funded by California's Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program.

The purpose of this Post-Doctoral Research Scholar position is to provide mentored, advanced training to enhance professional skills and research independence in tobacco prevention and the environment. The scholar will be mentored by Georg Matt, PhD with contributions from the interdisciplinary group of faculty at CTE.

This position is full-time, in-person, with the possibility for limited remote work (i.e., <8 hours/week). The office is open during normal business hours Monday through Friday, however some research activities. Events outside of normal business hours are infrequent, typically 2-3 times each month. Reliable transportation is required.

Responsibilities

The Post-Doctoral Research Scholar will function as a contributing member of the interdisciplinary team of scientists at CTEm who have a more than 20- year history of investigating issues related tobacco and the environment. The team is committed to examining research questions that will inform policy and ultimately protect the public from the toxic legacy of tobacco indoors and outdoors.

The primary responsibility of this position is management of field-based research projects examining the tobacco pollution in indoor and outdoor spaces.

Specific duties include:

Research Activities 50%

• Manage ongoing funded projects, coordinate day-to-day operations of field research studies
• Community engagement, develop research protocols, develop and implement staff training, coordinate data collection activities, data management, and prepare reports for community partners, stakeholders, and policy makers

Data Analysis, Manuscript Writing and Grant Proposals 35%

• Contribute to data analysis, manuscript writing, and presentation of findings at professional conferences
• Contribute to writing and submission of competitive proposals for extramural funding
• Submit a NIH or TRDRP grant within first year of employment

Mentorship 10%

• Mentor/supervise undergraduate and graduate student research assistants who contribute to all phases of the research process

Other duties as assigned 5%

Qualifications

Minimum Education

• A doctoral degree in an appropriate field
• 0-5 years of relevant experience