"Research Associate (Postdoctoral Scholar) in Intergenerational Mobility and Poverty - Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality"

Conducts academic research in connection with CUNY programs; may assist faculty, staff, and students in conducting research and lead research efforts involving others. Develops research plans and proposals and participates in acquiring funding. Collects, analyzes, and assures validity of data. Writes progress reports; writes and publishes findings. Collaborates with internal and external colleagues. Adheres to standards for safety and hygiene and ethical conduct as defined by the University and relevant outside parties.

The Graduate Center, CUNY is the focal point for advanced teaching and research at The City University of New York (CUNY), the nation's largest urban public university. With over 35 doctoral and master’s programs of the highest caliber, the Graduate Center fosters pioneering research and scholarship in the arts and sciences and prepares students for careers in universities and the private, nonprofit, and government sectors. The Graduate Center’s commitment to research and scholarship for the public good is exemplified by its more than 30 centers, institutes, and initiatives, including its Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), a 200,000 square-foot facility in upper Manhattan, designed to promote collaboration among scientists in five areas of global research and innovation: nanoscience, photonics, structural biology, neuroscience, and environmental sciences.

The James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality conducts and promotes quantitative research using inequality as a lens on society, politics, and the economy. The core faculty, the affiliated and postdoctoral scholars, and the students working within the center share a commitment to scholarship that is data-driven, interdisciplinary, and policy-oriented, often addressing questions that are cross-nationally comparative or global in scope.

The Stone Center is hiring a postdoctoral scholar with a recent Ph.D. to spend two years conducting research on intergenerational mobility and poverty. In this cycle, priority will be given to candidates carrying out quantitative, empirical research on one or more of the following, in relation to the United States and/or other countries: the measurement of poverty and well-being; public policy directed to child poverty and well-being.

The postdoctoral scholar will work directly with Professor Miles Corak on a cross-national project on child-poverty and poverty in the rich countries, and have the opportunity to work individually on their own projects. This position reports to a professor and is a full-time two-year position beginning in August 2026.

In addition to the responsibilities listed, the scholar will: Act as co-lead on a cross-national project on poverty and poverty measurement; Conduct related self-directed research that contributes to the growing national and international conversations on inequality, poverty, and child well-being as well as on feasible public and private strategies aimed at furthering fair and effective policy and institutional change; Engage with other Stone Center postdoctoral scholars to build community and share research; Work with the Center’s communications team to produce and disseminate public-facing scholarship, via a mix of social media tools and public programming; Perform other duties, occasionally, as requested by Stone Center senior scholars or staff.

All full-time and part-time CUNY staff are expected to work in-person at their campus office 70% of their work time.

Minimum Qualifications: Doctoral Degree in a related field and demonstrated research ability.

Other Qualifications: Ph.D. degree in economics, with a specialization in labor economics, public economics, or applied econometrics, or a Ph.D. in a related social science discipline. Applicants must have completed their Ph.D. no more than seven years prior to the application date; Applicants must demonstrate that their Ph.D. degree will be completed by August 2026; Research portfolio that demonstrates interest in and experience with empirical, methodological, or theoretical scholarship on inequality, with a focus on the content areas noted above. High level of technical skill, expertise in a range of quantitative methods, and experience with complex data sets; Experience with communicating research findings in a way that is relevant to the public.

Compensation: $90,000/year plus an allowance for research-related expenditures, as well as an allowance for hiring research assistants from the Graduate Center’s student population.

Benefits: CUNY offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees and eligible dependents based on job title and classification. Employees are also offered pension and Tax-Deferred Savings Plans.

How to Apply: Please click on "Apply Now" below which links to the registration screen. Curriculum vitae. Statement of interest, not to exceed 1,500 words. One writing sample. Contact details for three (3) professional references.