University of California, Santa Barbara
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Postdoctoral Scholar: Curiosity & Character Development, Schooler META Lab, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences University of California, Santa Barbara in United States
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Education
Funding
Postdoctoral salary is estimated at $69,073 to $82,836 full-time, with pay based on prior postdoc service and possible higher salary to meet competitive conditions.
Deadline
Jun 30, 2027
Country
United States
University
University of California, Santa Barbara
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About this position
Schooler META Lab at the University of California, Santa Barbara is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar to help lead a multi-institution project on cultivating curiosity as an intellectual virtue in higher education.
The position is part of a three-year initiative that brings an evidence-based, app-delivered curiosity program into classrooms, wellness programming, and campus culture at UCSB and George Mason University. The work builds on published pilot studies suggesting that curiosity can be trained and that it may support broader positive development. A central goal of the project is to understand how curiosity-related gains scale in real educational settings and how they relate to belonging and academic success among first-generation, Pell-eligible, and transfer students.
The postdoc will work closely with participating faculty and campus partners, including Health & Wellness, CITRAL, and George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Responsibilities include developing shared pedagogical and assessment materials, helping design and carry out assessment across student and faculty samples, and analyzing longitudinal intervention data collected at multiple time points.
The role also includes presenting findings at conferences and Educating Character Initiative convenings, as well as leading and co-authoring publications arising from the project. The advertised environment is collaborative and cross-institutional, combining research, assessment, and student-facing programming within a higher-education context.
Funding details
Postdoctoral salary is estimated at $69,073 to $82,836 full-time, with pay based on prior postdoc service and possible higher salary to meet competitive conditions.
What's required
Applicants must have completed all requirements for a PhD (or equivalent) except the dissertation at the time of application, and the PhD should be in psychology, education, cognitive science, or a related field. By the start date, candidates must have at least 1 year of quantitative training, with multilevel modeling and longitudinal/repeated-measures designs preferred, and the PhD must be conferred by the appointment start date. Preferred experience includes applied or field-based intervention research, along with excellent writing, organization, and collaborative skills and comfort working across research and student-facing teams.
How to apply
Apply through the UC Santa Barbara recruitment portal using the provided application link. Submit a CV, a cover letter describing research interests and fit, and contact information for three references. Shortlisted applicants will later be asked for letters of reference.
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Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.
Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.