Postdoctoral Fellow - Stanford - 2025-2026 academic year

Join IPL Stanford’s Postdoctoral Program!

About IPL. The Immigration Policy Lab (IPL) at Stanford University designs and evaluates policies to advance the integration and well-being of refugees and immigrants worldwide. By producing new evidence and translating it into creative solutions, we seek to improve refugees’ and immigrants’ opportunities and strengthen their host communities.

Using large datasets, mixed-methods research designs, and cutting-edge analytical tools, we bring evidence to bear on the urgent problems facing immigrants, refugees, and their service providers. We engage with community-based organizations as well as local, state, national, and international government agencies to test the effectiveness of current policies. In addition, we co-design new policies, programs, and tools that ultimately affect millions of migrants, as well as increase the economic and social prosperity of the communities in which they live. Our talented team of faculty, professional staff, postdocs, and students has created a research model that combines the quality and rigor of an academic lab with the efficiency and innovation of a civic-tech startup.

About the Position. We are looking for a small cohort of postdoctoral fellows to join our team for the 2025-2026 academic year and help grow our exciting portfolio of projects. The postdocs will analyze unique and underutilized administrative data on refugees, displaced populations, and immigrants using advanced methods of causal inference; design and implement evaluations of migration policies and programs around the globe; and develop creative and rigorous research designs to answer policy-relevant questions on migration. They will work closely with IPL faculty Jens Hainmueller and David Laitin on projects related to their area of interest and expertise. Current opportunities include:

• Designing, evaluating, and scaling key programs and policies for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South America. Priority research questions and projects will require field research and include climate adaptation and migration; return migration; livelihoods, resilience, and access to work for refugees or internally displaced persons in humanitarian settings; and the impact of migration policies on mobility patterns. •

• Studying and implementing an algorithm-based matching tool to connect refugees and immigrants to locations within a host country where they are most likely to thrive.

• Analyzing medical claims data to understand the impact of immigration policies on population health outcomes in the U.S.

In addition to these projects, postdocs are encouraged to bring their own research ideas to IPL and pitch potential collaborative projects. Postdocs work side-by-side with faculty and professional staff in an interdisciplinary, highly collaborative team immersed in a hub of experiential research activity. While the majority of the postdocs’ time will be dedicated to collaborative lab projects, there is also an opportunity to develop related independent research. The initial appointment will be for one year (with potential to renew for a second year). Salary is standardized based on Stanford University guidelines. Benefits are provided.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• A Ph.D. in any discipline received within the last three years, with a preference for political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, public health/health policy, statistics, computer science.
• A range of statistical and data skills, including graduate-level knowledge of causal inference methods, data management, and data analysis.
• Experience managing large datasets and executing data analysis in complex environments is highly valued.

Stanford University is an equal opportunity employer. It welcomes nominations of, and applications from, women and members of minority groups, as well as others who would bring additional dimensions to the university’s research missions.

Application Instructions: Applications should be submitted here and include a cover letter, CV, graduate school transcripts, a writing sample, and at least two letters of recommendation. Additional papers and a diversity statement may be requested at a later date. Applicants should be prepared to complete a research design and/or data analysis exercise as part of the interview process.

IPL encourages applicants from diverse and underrepresented groups to apply. In particular, IPL encourages individuals from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (Black or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, as described by the National Science Foundation), individuals with disabilities, and individuals from disadvantaged economic and educational backgrounds (low-income households and disadvantaged educational environments) to apply.

Applications will only be accepted through AcademicJobsOnline. Applications will be reviewed starting on December 6, 2024.

Applicants who have questions about the position may contact Adam Lichtenheld, Executive Director of the Immigration Policy Lab at Stanford University, directly ([email protected], Subject: Immigration Lab Postdoc 2025-26).

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job. Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.