Vanderbilt University

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

The Vanderbilt LGBT Policy Lab seeks postdoctoral scholars in LGBT Policy Studies (broadly defined). The ideal candidate is an empirical social scientist who has an interest in studying the causes and consequences of LGBT-related public policies (e.g., same-sex marriage, non-discrimination, ‘bathroom bills’, religious freedom exemptions, and others) on a range of social, economic, political, health, education, and demographic outcomes. Experience with programming in STATA and handling large datasets is required. A PhD in demography, economics, education, health services research, law/jurisprudence, LGBT studies, political science, public health, health policy, public policy, sociology, or a related field is required.

Please note that while the administrative home of these postdoctoral appointments will be in the Department of Economics, we invite applications from and plan to hire researchers in multiple disciplines.

Responsibilities include:
1. Carrying out an active research program focusing on LGBT policies and populations, including solo publications and joint papers with Vanderbilt LGBT Policy Lab faculty.
2. Co-developing and co-teaching a course on LGBT policies and advocacy to be co-taught with a Vanderbilt faculty member over the course of the fellowship.
3. Attending a monthly colloquium series on LGBT policies and populations.
4. Attending and helping to coordinate and facilitate an academic conference on LGBT policies and populations to be held at Vanderbilt in Spring 2022
5. Serving as a liaison to campus and community leaders on LGBT policy topics.

With generous funding from a Vanderbilt Trans-Institutional Programs Reinvestment Award (http://vanderbilt.edu/strategicplan/trans-institutional-programs/tipshome.php), the Vanderbilt LGBT Policy Lab brings together Vanderbilt experts from multiple units including: economics; education; divinity; health policy; law; medicine; MHS; political science; religious studies; gender and sexuality studies; and sociology. Vanderbilt LGBT Policy Lab Faculty have secured over $3 million in external funding to support research on LGBT policies and populations. Our faculty’s research has been published in journals such as the Harvard Law Review, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, and The New England Journal of Medicine; covered by NBC, the New York Post, and the Washington Post; and cited in Supreme Court decisions on marriage equality and LGBT employment nondiscrimination. Our goal is to compete for NIH LGBT-focused population center funding in 5-7 years.

All postdoctoral scholars will be supervised by Vanderbilt LGBT Policy Lab Director Kitt Carpenter and one or more faculty mentors depending on discipline. For example, while candidates with economics PhDs will work closely with PI Kitt Carpenter, candidates with education PhDs may work more closely with Co-Investigators Luis Leyva or Matthew Shaw; candidates with sociology PhDs may work more closely with Co-Investigators Tara McKay or Rachel Donnelly; and candidates with public health or health policy PhDs may work more closely with Co-Investigator Gilbert Gonzales.

The one-year fellowships will begin 7/1/2021 (or possibly earlier if mutually agreeable), with an initial end date of 6/30/2022, and carry the possibility of a one-year renewal. [Our strong preference is for candidates to be able to spend both AY 21-22 and 22-23 at Vanderbilt.] Each position carries a twelve-month salary of $65,000, office space, health insurance, and eligibility for other benefits (https://gradschool.vanderbilt.edu/postdoctoral/postdoctoral-scholars/benefits.php). These in-residence positions require a physical presence in Nashville for the term of the fellowship.

Applicants should provide a cover letter describing interesting in the position and
future research plans, CV, a research paper, and three references at:
https://apply.interfolio.com/77119.
Applications will be reviewed immediately and until the positions are filled.

Vanderbilt University is committed to recruiting and retaining an academically and culturally diverse community of exceptional scholars. Women, minorities, and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. Vanderbilt University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer.