The Behavioral Science for Policy Lab (BSPL) and the Rapid Switch Initiative are seeking an outstanding researcher for a Postdoctoral Researcher Associate or a more senior researcher position starting in the Spring of 2024 or sooner. BSPL is an interdisciplinary center that facilitates research and understanding on consumer behavior, the implications of decision making on public policy, and the neurological underpinnings of judgment and decision making. The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment and the Rapid Switch Initiative are focused on resolving critical challenges to securing a sustainable energy and environmental future.
The researcher will report to BSPL's Director Elke Weber and Rapid Switch lead Chris Greig and will collaborate with other lab and center researchers, postdocs, and graduate students across disciplines. The researcher will contribute to the design and implementation of an applied research project to increase the speed and scale of the ongoing sustainable energy and net-zero carbon transition by identifying and removing critical barriers to change. The barriers to be addressed in this work are (a) a deficit of trust between civil society and the private and public sector, and (b) overconfidence among experts and decision-makers that influence and implement energy transition plans and trajectories, including their reliance on (necessarily incompletely specified) models. This requires knowledge of the literature on organizational change and the psychological literature on individual and social change as well as on trust and confidence. Previous research or professional experience in the renewable energy sector and sustainability would be valuable. Tools will include web-based surveys, online lab and field studies, AI assisted text analysis, and agent-based modeling. The postdoc will be expected to employ a combination of approaches, from the identification and analysis of existing real-world data sets arising as the result of natural experiments, to the design and analysis of field or lab intervention studies that collect process and outcome measures related to decision making in various domains. We are particularly interested in candidates with computational modeling and strong statistical skills.
Other duties include contribution to other ongoing center projects, preparation of and participation in workshops, and drafting reports and papers for publication.
Required qualifications:
Desired qualifications:
The Term of appointment is based on rank. Positions at the postdoctoral rank are for one year with the possibility of renewal pending satisfactory performance and continued funding; those hired at more senior ranks may have multi-year appointments.
Applicants must apply online at https://www.princeton.edu/acad-positions/position/33421 and submit a CV, cover letter, two publication or writing samples, and contact information for two references.
The work location for this position is in-person on campus at Princeton University. This position is subject to the University's background check policy. Please reach out to ayasalim@princeton.edu with any questions.
Read Full Description