Postdoctoral Fellow

Overview

Georgia Tech prides itself on its technological resources, collaborations, high-quality student body, and its commitment to building an outstanding and diverse community of learning, discovery, and creation. We strongly encourage applicants whose values align with our institutional values, as outlined in our Strategic Plan. These values include academic excellence, diversity of thought and experience, inquiry and innovation, collaboration and community, and ethical behavior and stewardship. Georgia Tech has policies to promote a healthy work-life balance and is aware that attracting faculty may require meeting the needs of two careers.

About Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech is a top-ranked public research university situated in the heart of Atlanta, a diverse and vibrant city with numerous economic and cultural strengths. The Institute serves more than 45,000 students through top-ranked undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in engineering, computing, science, business, design, and liberal arts. Georgia Tech's faculty attracted more than $1.4 billion in research awards this past year in fields ranging from biomedical technology to artificial intelligence, energy, sustainability, semiconductors, neuroscience, and national security. Georgia Tech ranks among the nation's top 20 universities for research and development spending and No. 1 among institutions without a medical school.

Georgia Tech's Mission and Values

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do:

1. Students are our top priority.

2. We strive for excellence.

3. We thrive on diversity.

4. We celebrate collaboration.

5. We champion innovation.

6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.

7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.

8. We act ethically.

9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a top 10 public research university with nearly 40,000 students who study in person at the main campus in Atlanta, at Georgia Tech-Europe in France, as well as through distance and online learning.

Georgia Tech is distinguished by its commitment to improving the human condition through advanced science and technology.
Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the Institute offers nationally recognized undergraduate and graduate programs in the colleges of business, computing,
design, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences.

The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education (GPE) is a unit of the Office of the Provost with a mission that supports Georgia Tech's mission by providing services, advocacy, and
development programs for graduate students and postdocs, as well as oversight and strategic initiatives to graduate education.

We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher who will work under the guidance of Dr. Gaeun (Gwenn) Seo, Director of Graduate Career Development in the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Education at Georgia Institute of Technology. The postdoc will contribute to a multi-year, federally funded research initiative that examines how industry-engaged graduate funding structures shape Ph.D. student success, faculty research environments, and institutional policy. This project will examine industry-engaged flexible graduate funding models that combine traditional funding mechanisms (e.g., research assistantships, fellowships) with externally supported funding, such as internships and industry-sponsored appointments. The study will compare outcomes for Ph.D. students in these flexible funding arrangements with regard to financial security, research engagement, career decision-making, and time to degree, as well as impacts on faculty research strategies, mentoring practices, and institutional policies. Using a mixed-methods design, the project will integrate surveys, interviews, and longitudinal institutional data across STEM disciplines and stakeholder groups.

The postdoctoral researcher will play a central role in this work, with primary supervision provided by Dr. Seo and additional input from the projects PI/CoPIs. The postdoc will contribute to the design and implementation of data collection instruments, conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses, and synthesize findings to generate evidence-based insights that inform institutional decision-making. Through regular engagement with the research team, the postdoc will support the translation of empirical results into scholarly publications and actionable guidance for institutions seeking sustainable and scalable approaches to graduate education funding.

This is a two-year, renewable position contingent on performance. The postdoc will receive research and professional development mentoring and, as time permits, may pursue related projects and develop an independent line of scholarship aligned with the broader research agenda.

Key Responsibilities -

• Design, pilot, and implement quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments (surveys, interview guides) in collaboration with the research team and an external research consultant.
• Conduct data cleaning and management and analyze quantitative and qualitative data, including longitudinal institutional datasets
• Apply statistical modeling techniques (e.g., regression, factor analysis, SEM) and qualitative coding methods.
• Contribute to manuscripts, conference presentations, and public dissemination of findings.
• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings and collaborate with faculty, administrators, and external partners.
• Support IRB coordination and ensure compliance with NSF data management and human subjects protocols.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Education, Educational Psychology, Higher Education, Human Resource Development, Learning Sciences, Educational Policy, or a related field (degree must be completed by appointment date).
• Demonstrated expertise in mixed-methods research, with strong quantitative analysis skills.
• Experience designing or implementing surveys and analyzing large datasets
• Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R, MATLAB, or Python)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing manuscripts or reports.
• Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, administrators, and research partners in higher education settings.

* Experience in implementing educational research in higher education

* Knowledge of higher education research, graduate education, or workforce development.

* Experience in longitudinal or institutional data analysis.

Position Title: Postdoctoral Research Associate
Anticipated Start: Preferably June 2026; no later than August 1, 2026.
Salary Range: $65,000-$70,000 per year (commensurate with experience)

When submitting the application, please include:

1. Curriculum Vitae

2. Cover Letter summarizing research experience and alignment with the project

3. One sample publication or writing sample

4. Contact information for three references

Review of applications will begin on March 16 and continue until the position is filled.

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 25 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The Institute is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and Institute policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services. Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Equal opportunity and decisions based on merit are fundamental values of the University System of Georgia ("USG") and Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of an individual's race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

This is not a supervisory position.
This position does not have any financial responsibilities.
This position will not be required to drive.
This role is not considered a position of trust.
This position does not require a purchasing card (P-Card).
This position will not travel
This position does not require security clearance.

Successful candidate must be able to pass a background check. Please visit http://policylibrary.gatech.edu/employment/pre-employment-screening