Prospective Post-Doctoral Scholars:

This is a call for applications for a postdoctoral position in UC San Diego’s Department of Psychology with Dr. Caren Walker in the Early Learning & Cognition Lab. The position is part of an NSF-funded collaborative project with the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Rutgers University - Newark (co-PIs: Drs. Elizabeth Bonawitz, Igor Bascandziev, and Patrick Shafto), examining the cognitive mechanisms of guided instruction in early elementary school STEM education. Here is a link to the NSF abstract for details.

This is a 2 year position with a flexible start date (from July 2024 to Sept 2025). In addition to working with longitudinal data from the primary project, the postdoc will also develop new empirical studies in collaboration with the PIs that focus on scientific reasoning and the mechanisms underlying early learning.

Competitive candidates will have:

 1) A Ph.D. in psychology, cognitive science, human development, or a closely related field.  

2) A strong background in developmental research and experimental design.  

3) Some experience working with early elementary-aged children.  

4) Experience with research pertaining to early learning and/or scientific reasoning.  

5) Strong written and verbal communication abilities.  

6) Proficiency in statistical analysis.  

7) Prior involvement in guiding and supporting undergraduate students.  

Interested candidates should submit application materials to carenwalker@ucsd.edu:

 1) CV  

2) Cover letter describing qualifications and interests  

3) 1-2 writing samples of published research  

4) Names of 2 individuals who could provide a recommendation  

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.