Post Doc Research Fellow

Position Information

Position: Postdoctoral Fellow - Psychology

The Motivation and Healthy Adult Development Lab in the Psychology Department at North Dakota State University (NDSU) invites applications for a NIA-funded postdoctoral fellow, with a preferred start date of November 2022.

Position Description

The Motivation and Healthy Adult Development Lab in the Psychology Department at NDSU is seeking a postdoctoral scholar to assist Dr. Hamm on an NIA-funded project. The project seeks to identify how (mediating pathways) and for which populations (sociodemographic moderators) a modifiable psychological resource (perceived control) protects against declines in cognitive functioning. This project involves collecting and analyzing new, micro-longitudinal measurement-burst data and conducting a secondary analysis of pre-existing, macro-longitudinal data from the Midlife in the United States study to systematically test the proposed pathways across days, months, and years.

Primary responsibilities include project management and coordination of day-to-day operations; data analysis (including multilevel modeling); preparation and publication of manuscripts; preparing and delivering scientific presentations at regional, national, and international conferences; and working collaboratively with an interdisciplinary research team across institutions (e.g., Brandeis University, Clemson University).

The preferred start date for the position is November 2022, but a later start date is possible. The postdoctoral fellowship is for up to 1 year, with the opportunity to renew for a second year pending funding.

Minimum Requirements

The minimum qualifications for the position are (1) a PhD degree in Psychology, Cognitive Aging, or a related discipline that matches or complements the proposed project by the anticipated start date and (2) effective written and oral communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Priority will be given to candidates with: (1) proficiency in longitudinal data analytic methods such as multilevel models, latent growth models, etc.; (2) expertise in online cognitive assessment; (3) training in the behavioral assessment of physical activity or sleep using actigraphy; (4) evidence of research productivity; (5) expertise in field research methodologies such as measurement-burst designs.

The Department

The Department of Psychology's offices and labs are located in the recently renovated Minard Hall. The department has 14 full-time faculty, one Professor of Practice, one Research Professor, eleven graduate students, and over 400 undergraduate majors. The department is dedicated to supporting productive, nationally recognized research programs and providing quality instruction to students. The Department's Center for Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience is currently supported by a NIH Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant. Additional information about the department is available at: http://www.ndsu/edu/psychology .

The University

North Dakota State University (NDSU) is a designated R1 research institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. NDSU is 1 of only 3 universities in the upper Midwest region of the country designated as R1. NDSU is a student-focused, land-grant research university with more than 10,000 students from 47 states and 79 countries. We are proud to have been our state's first institution to be named to the top category of the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, and similarly, the only university in North Dakota to have appeared in the National Science Foundation's top 100 public institution rankings. Additional information about the university is available at: http://www.ndsu.edu.

The Community

NDSU is located in Fargo-Moorhead (F-M), a pleasant, safe, and growing community of approximately 240,000. As the largest population center in the region, F-M is a center for entertainment, finance, and medical services for a large geographic area including the state of North Dakota and northern Minnesota. Fargo is a great college town (https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/lifestyle/vacation-ideas/things-to-do-in-fargo/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.41d5caac3f9c). Two universities (North Dakota State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead) and one private liberal arts college (Concordia College) are located in Fargo and Moorhead. The F-M area has a healthy economy, ND has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S., good public schools, low crime rates, ample shopping, local theatre and music companies, several art galleries, semi-professional baseball and hockey, and Division I intercollegiate athletics. Hector International Airport in Fargo is convenient and is served by several major airlines. Sun, clear skies, and clean air predominate year round. Visiting nearby northern Minnesota lakes, canoeing, camping, cycling, softball, and soccer are popular in summer; winter pastimes include cross-country skiing, skating, curling, and snowmobiling. The city has an excellent park system that includes several quality golf courses and bicycle/running/ski paths along the Red River, which divides Fargo-Moorhead. Fargo is an hour drive from a major resort area in the Minnesota “lakes country” and two hours from scenic Itasca State Park, where you will find the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Central and western North Dakota offer beautiful hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, and related opportunities in the Badlands, national grasslands, and numerous river valleys. Winnipeg, Manitoba is less than a four-hour drive to the north and Minneapolis-St. Paul is an equal distance to the southeast.

Screening

Review of applications will begin October 11 2022 and will continue until the position is filled. Interviews will be conducted virtually.

Applicant Materials Required

Applicants must submit a cover letter describing fit with the position and project, a curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests which should include statistical experience and career goals, relevant publications, and contact information for three professional references. Please upload this information in a single PDF file under the heading “Other Document 1” as you apply.

Additional Information

Questions regarding the search may be directed to Dr. Jeremy Hamm, Search Committee Chair, Department of Psychology, NDSU Dept. 2765, PO Box 6050, Fargo, ND 58108-6050 or via email at jeremy.hamm@ndsu.edu

Benefits:

NDSU offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes single or family health insurance coverage with premiums paid for by the university - with an effective date for new employees the first of the month following date of hire. Other benefits include, wellness benefits, basic life insurance, retirement plan, tuition waiver, annual leave, EAP, sick leave and holiday pay. Optional benefits include supplemental life, dental, vision, long-term care insurance, flexible spending account, and supplemental retirement plans.

About Us:

North Dakota State University is distinctive as a student focused, land-grant, research university. Our main campus is located in Fargo, ND with Extension Service and Research Experiment Station locations across the state.

NDSU is the best college in ND, according to Money Magazine (September 2018). NDSU was named a 2019 Best Value College by Forbes. Fargo made Livability.com's top 10 list of cities to find a job and ranked at #11 for best places to live overall.

No Smoking Notice :

As an employer, the State of North Dakota prohibits smoking in all places of state employment in accordance with N.D.C.C. § 23-12-10.

EO/AA Statement:

North Dakota State University is an Equal Opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, participation in lawful off-campus activity, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, public assistance status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, spousal relationship to current employee, or veteran status, as applicable.

Veteran's Preference Notice:

This position is subject to North Dakota Veteran's Preference requirements.

Reasonable Accommodation Information

North Dakota State University is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, please contact Human Resources at 701-231-8961 or ndsu.hr@ndsu.edu .

Land Acknowledgement

We collectively acknowledge that NDSU, a land grant institution, on the traditional lands of the Oceti Sakowin (Dakota, Lakota, Nakoda) and Anishinaabe Peoples in addition to many diverse Indigenous Peoples still connected to these lands. We honor with gratitude Mother Earth and the Indigenous Peoples who have walked with her throughout generations. We will continue to learn how to live in unity with Mother Earth and build strong, mutually beneficial, trusting relationships with Indigenous Peoples of our region. (see www.ndsu.edu/inclusioncouncil/native_american_initiatives/ ).