Position Announcement Social Science Post-Doctoral Fellow North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
The North Central Regional Center for Rural Development is jointly funded by USDA and land-grant universities in its 12-state region. The NCRCRD seeks a post-doctoral fellow. The fellow will actively engage with the NCRCRD advisory board, land-grant university administrators, faculty and Extension staff to write refereed journal articles and develop/disseminate outreach & engagement curriculum related to one or more of the following broad areas, depending on the fellow's background and interests: * Innovation diffusion for rural development * Sustainable communities * Entrepreneurial communities The position will be appointed for up to twelve months. Appointments of shorter duration can be considered, depending on the applicant's goals. Through the experience with NCRCRD, the fellow will complement the strong disciplinary training of their PhD program with exposure to a broad range of sciences and learning-by-doing in rural development Extension curriculum design and pilot-testing. At the end of their post-doctoral experiences, the fellow will enjoy a network of senior academic and policy colleagues from which they may launch successful careers as faculty members or policy analysts. The fellows will be compensated commensurate with recent PhDs in the field of study, and will have access to health care benefits. Position Location: The successful candidate will be expected to relocate to the greater East Lansing area, and will be provided with an office on the Michigan State University campus. The position will likely involve overnight travel to other parts of the NCRCRD's twelve-state area, Washington DC, or to conferences related to the topics addressed by the fellow. Required Qualifications: * PhD in a social science by date of appointment. * Demonstrated interest in topics addressed by NCRCRD. * Strong English written and verbal communications skills. * Ability to travel independently by air and drive an automobile. Preferred Qualifications: * Academic record of publications related to the issues to be address by NCRCRD. * Demonstrated ability to synthesize academic inputs from a wide array of sources. * Understanding of the land grant university system. Individuals applying for the position should expect to begin work within May 15 - July 15, 2014 window. Individuals who hold ABD status are strongly encouraged to apply but will not be appointed until they have met all degree requirements. Application Procedure: Applicants should submit a letter of application. The letter of application should address how the post-doctoral experience will help the candidate achieve their ultimate career goal. Candidates holding ABD status should specify their expected date of degree completion. In addition, applicants should provide a curriculum vita, electronic copy of PhD program course transcripts, and cell phone contacts for three professional references. Review of applications will begin March 15, 2014 and conclude when successful candidates are identified. All application materials should be uploaded to Michigan State University's application web site via the following URL for position number 9053. https://jobs.msu.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1392067553298 MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Scott Loveridge, PhD Director, North Central Regional Center for Rural Development Associate Director, National Agricultural and Rural Development Policy Center Professor, Dept. of Ag., Food, and Resource Economics Michigan State University Justin S. Morrill Hall of Agriculture 446 West Circle Dr., Room 66 East Lansing, MI 48824
