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Postdoctoral Scholar - Berkeley School of Education - Data Science Education Researcher

Job #JPF04692
  • School of Education / Berkeley School of Education / UC Berkeley

Position overview

Position title: Non-Senate
Salary range: The UC postdoc salary scales set the minimum pay determined by experience level at appointment. See the following table(s) for the current salary scale(s) for this position: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2024-25/oct-2024-scales/t23.pdf. A reasonable estimate for this position is $66,737–$71,769.
Percent time: 100%
Anticipated start: As soon as July 1, 2025. Exact start date negotiable.
Position duration: Two year appointments

Application Window

Open date: April 30, 2025

Most recent review date: Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications received after this date will be reviewed by the search committee if the position has not yet been filled.

Final date: Tuesday, Jun 3, 2025 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

This postdoctoral opportunity brings together faculty from UC Berkeley’s School of Education (BSE); the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS); and the Social Science D-Lab to support three (3) postdoctoral scholars as they study the teaching and learning of Data Science. Scholars will apprentice with multiple projects to develop and contribute expertise and scholarship in ethical data science teaching and learning across precollege, 2-year college, and 4-year university contexts. A major goal is to prepare scholars who are conversant across sectors, in order to help create coherent and supportive data science learning trajectories for all students.

We seek applicants with complementary relevant skill-sets and training in data science and education. This includes applicants with different educational backgrounds (e.g. research, regional, or liberal arts colleges; technical and community colleges), methodologies (e.g. qualitative and quantitative approaches to social sciences research), and experiences related to teaching or educational research (e.g. tutoring, teaching, curriculum development). We hope scholars will all share commitments to contributing high-quality, ethical Data Science Education teaching, curriculum, and scholarship.

The program will prepare postdoctoral scholars for a variety of careers such as entering Discipline-Based Education Research or the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning of Data Science as research or teaching faculty at a range of colleges and universities; working for non-academic organizations that design, develop, and study curricula, resources, and teacher learning for Data Science Education; or working with school districts or university systems to support student readiness, success, interest/confidence and career awareness in data science.

Duties of Position:
Year 1: Researchers will work with specialists among the faculty in Computer Science, Data-Intensive Social Science, Education, and Statistics in research rotations across departments; attend monthly workshops designed to develop the knowledge base required to conduct consequential research in this field; and become integral members of a growing community of practice at UC Berkeley and across the SF Bay Area.

Year 2: Researchers will engage with a year-long apprenticeship with a faculty mentor and will develop an independent project within the context of one of the many educational initiatives led by project personnel. Fellows will have the opportunity to teach workshops in Python/Jupyter, social science methodology, data literacy pedagogies, or data science curriculum development, and they may also teach undergraduate courses in Data Science/Statistics or STEM teacher preparation, no more than one course per year in the lecturer title. They will present their independent work at campus colloquia and will engage the broader Data Science Education field through scholarly conferences, technical workshops, and UC Berkeley’s annual Data Science Education convening.

Department: https://bse.berkeley.edu/

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

Doctoral degree (or equivalent international degree), or enrolled in a Doctoral or equivalent international degree program at the time of application.

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

Doctoral degree (or equivalent international degree). Fellows must meet the following eligibility requirements: Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident by the start date due to funding restrictions.

Preferred qualifications

*Knowledge of Python, Jupyter, R/RStudio, and/or other common statistical computing tools and languages.

*Teaching or tutoring experience at K-12, community college, and/or university levels.

*Experience with a variety of educational institutions (e.g. regional, or liberal arts colleges; 2-year colleges; high schools; informal learning environments).

Application Requirements

Document requirements

  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Letter of interest - One page long, detailing professional goals and aspirations for research given what they know of the opportunity

Reference requirements
  • 2 required (contact information only)

Letters of support should speak to the candidate’s strengths with respect to both disciplinary experience (e.g. in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, and/or related fields) and experience in educational research and/or practice (e.g., as a tutor, curriculum developer, or related to academic studies in Education, Learning Sciences, Cognitive Science, Educational Psychology, or related fields).

Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF04692

Help contact: alewis@berkeley.edu

About UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our public mission of research, teaching, and service, consistent with UC Regents Policy 4400 and University of California Academic Personnel policy (APM 210 1-d). These values are embedded in our Principles of Community, which reflect our passion for critical inquiry, debate, discovery and innovation, and our deep commitment to contributing to a better world. Every member of the UC Berkeley community has a role in sustaining a safe, caring and humane environment in which these values can thrive.

The University of California, Berkeley is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

For more information, please refer to the University of California’s Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment Policy and the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy.

In searches when letters of reference are required all letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality prior to submitting their letter.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

Job location

Berkeley, California