"Research Associate (Postdoctoral Scholar) in Wealth Inequality - Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality"

GENERAL DUTIES

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.

CONTRACT TITLE

Research Associate

FLSA

Exempt

CAMPUS SPECIFIC INFORMATION

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 Graduate Center (GC) benefits from highly ambitious and diverse students and alumni-who in turn teach hundreds of thousands of undergraduates every year. Through its public programs, the Graduate Center enhances New York City’s intellectual and cultural life.

STONE CENTER

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 home to a group of six core faculty members (senior scholars) who teach sociology, political science, and economics, and who-with graduate students and external affiliated scholars-are actively engaged in research addressing diverse aspects of socio-economic inequalities; Hosts the US Office of LIS, the cross-national data center in Luxembourg, with socio-economic microdata from 60+ countries; Organizes public programs related to inequality and collaborates with the Graduate Center’s Office of Public Programs on several large events each year. For more information about the Stone Center visit https://stonecenter.gc.cuny.edu/.

CALL FOR ONE POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR

The Stone Center seeks to hire a Research Associate (Postdoctoral Scholar) working on wealth and/or wealth inequality, to carry out research focused on the United States, on other countries, or through cross-country comparisons. This position reports to the Stone Center Director and is a full-time two-year position beginning in August 2026. Priority will be given to candidates conducting research in the following areas: Distribution of wealth, wealth inequality, wealth concentration; Intergroup wealth disparities (e.g., by gender, race, ethnicity, migration status); Intersection of wealth inequality, climate policies, and climate crisis; Determinants (including public policies) and consequences of wealth concentration; Estate, inheritance, gift, and wealth taxation, and/or other policies that shape wealth accumulation and wealth transfers; Behavioral responses from taxation and revenue analysis. The allocation of time will be approximately as follows: 70% - The postdoctoral scholar will have the opportunity to work individually on their own research projects related to wealth. 30% - The postdoctoral scholar will join the ongoing team of the GC Wealth Project, led by Project Director Salvatore Morelli. The postdoctoral scholar will contribute to the Wealth Project’s work, which includes gathering, curating, and producing data and research related to wealth inequality, wealth composition, and wealth taxation, across countries and over time; the precise role will be determined mutually. In this role, the postdoctoral scholar will work closely with other Wealth Project team members, including one other postdoctoral scholar, and will also supervise M.A./Ph.D. student research assistants. All full-time and part-time CUNY staff are expected to work in-person at their campus office 70% of their work time. For full-time staff, this is equivalent to 7 out of 10 days of in-person work in a two-week period (e.g., 7 days in-person, 3 days remote). This hybrid work schedule is subject to change.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Doctoral Degree in a related field and demonstrated research ability.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

A preferred candidate should have: Ph.D. degree in economics, sociology, political science, demography, public policy, or 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 socio-economic 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. This position is generously funded by the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation.

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. Part-time employees must meet a weekly or semester work hour criteria to be eligible for health benefits. Health benefits are also extended to retirees who meet the eligibility criteria.

HOW TO APPLY

Please click on "Apply Now" below which links to the registration screen. If you are a new user, you must register to apply. If you already have a user ID, please use your existing ID. The following are all required: 1. Curriculum vitae. 2. Statement of interest, not to exceed 1,500 words. The statement of interest should: a. Summarize your qualifications, and describe your past work related to wealth inequality. b. Include a brief description of the projects that you hope/expect to carry out during the two-year period. c. Indicate whether you have a Ph.D. degree and the month and year in which you attained your Ph.D. degree. d. If you do not have a Ph.D. degree at the time of application, please indicate the month and year by which you will have a Ph.D. degree. 1. One writing sample. Please do not submit multiple writing samples. 2. Contact details for three (3) professional references, including their name, title, organization, telephone numbers, and email addresses. Letters of recommendation are not required with the initial application. Please upload all documents in PDF format.