Postdoctoral Scholar

Overview

Department

The Florida Center for Prevention Research (FCPR) at Florida State University seeks a dedicated postdoctoral scholar to join our team as a mentored researcher on the Applied Opioid Research project funded by the Florida Department of Children and Families. We seek candidates with an established or developing program of research focused on opioid research or closely related to substance use topics whose work and passions align with the FCPR mission.

 

This position offers the opportunity to collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of researchers at FCPR, including affiliate faculty from the FSU College of Social Work, Department of Human Development & Family Science, and Geography, as well as state partners engaged in opioid research, data analysis, and prevention policy.

 

Responsibilities

·        Support data acquisition, cleaning, and management for large-scale opioid-related datasets (e.g., state administrative data, health care utilization data, survey data, geospatial data).

·        Conduct quantitative and, as applicable, geospatial analyses for technical reports, peer-reviewed manuscripts, and presentations at professional conferences.

·        Prepare, submit, and amend IRB protocol and data use agreements related to opioid and substance use research.

·        Contribute to the writing of technical and evaluation reports for FL state partners (e.g., agency funders).

·        Serve as lead and co-author on conference proposals and manuscripts using data from Applied Opioid Research and related projects.

·        Assist in conceptualizing, drafting, and revising grant proposals to internal and external funding sources that advance FCPR’s mission and research.

·        Participate in team meetings with university and state stakeholders and contribute to translation of research findings for policy and practice audiences.

 

Minimum qualifications:

·        A Ph.D. in Public Health, Epidemiology, Social Work, Psychology, Education, Human Development & Family Science, or a related social or behavioral science field.

·        ABD candidates who will complete all degree requirements prior to the start date are eligible to apply. Proof of degree conferral is required before employment begins.

·        We are unable to offer visa sponsorship; candidates must have valid authorization prior to the start of employment.

·        Demonstrated proficiency in quantitative research methods, including data management and analysis using statistical software (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R, SAS, MPlus, Python).

·        Experience working with medium to large datasets (e.g., survey, administrative, or health data).

·        Highly proficient with standard computer software and collaboration platforms, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Teams, and SharePoint (or similar tools).

·        Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience contributing to manuscripts, reports, and conference presentations.

·        Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in fast-paced, team-based research environment.

·        Strong organizational skills and attention to details to manage multiple projects and deadlines.

·        Availability to travel and participate in occasional overnight, out-of-town meetings and conferences.

 

Preferred Qualifications

Preference will be given to candidates with one or more of the following:

·        Research experience focused on opioid misuse, Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), Medication for OUD, overdose prevention, or broader substance use epidemiology.

·        Experience with prevention or intervention programs in family, school, or community contexts, especially those addressing substance use or associated risk/protective factors.

·        Training and experience in advanced quantitative methods (e.g., longitudinal analysis, structural equation modeling, multilevel modeling, causal inference methods, geospatial modeling, or machine learning).

·        Experience with data management and secondary analysis of large administrative, health services, or population-based datasets (e.g., Medicaid/claims data, EHR data, state surveillance systems, or multi-wave survey data).

·        Experience preparing technical or evaluation reports for government or community partners.

 

Start Date:

·        The expected start date for this position is August 28, 2026.

 

Contract Terms:

·        The initial contract is for one year, but may be renewed annually based on satisfactory performance and available funding, up to a maximum total tenure of 4 years.

 

Work Location:

·        All work will be completed in-person at the FCPR office, which is located off campus at 800 Capital Circle SE, Suite 2, Tallahassee, FL

 

Application Procedure:

Interested candidates should submit the following documents to FSU Jobs (Job ID 61873):

·        Cover letter outlining their experience and research interests

·        Up-to-date curriculum vitae.

·        Names and contact details of three references.

 

Inquiries for further information, please contact Dr. April Yun at hyun@fsu.edu.