Important Info
To be ensured of full consideration, please send your complete application by February 20, 2023 in a single PDF to SILpostdoc@stanford.edu with the subject line: “SIL Postdoc_Fletcher”.
Open postdoctoral position through the Stanford Impact Labs Postdoctoral Fellowship Program with the Fletcher Lab
Postdoctoral Fellow
Stanford Impact Labs is an initiative at Stanford University that invests in highly motivated teams of researchers and practitioners—impact labs—to generate new insights and solutions to persistent social problems. To begin in the Fall of 2023, Stanford Impact Labs is now accepting applications to the two-year postdoctoral fellowship program in collaboration with four research teams.
The Fletcher Lab is seeking a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join a team-based, collaborative community and who value the different skills, expertise, and perspectives necessary to design, conduct, sustain, and disseminate public impact research. We particularly encourage applications from women, minority, and first-generation PhD recipients, as well as candidates from a broad diversity of PhD-granting institutions.
The Fletcher Lab at Stanford University uses computational systems modeling to advance resilient and equitable water resources management for an uncertain future. Current research topics in the lab include: adaptive planning approaches to address climate uncertainty; urban drought resilience; multi-scale systems modeling; and water affordability. The postdoctoral fellow will lead a new project working in partnership with local academics, water managers, and stakeholders to inform drought planning for the Maipo Basin in Chile, which supplies water to the city of Santiago. The postdoctoral fellow will work with Prof. Fletcher and local partners to design a research project of mutual interest and also collaborate on other projects in the lab.
Mentorship Structure
The postdoctoral fellow will be supervised by Prof. Sarah Fletcher and will collaborate with other members of the lab. Mentorship of the postdoctoral fellow will be structured according to research and professional interests and will include weekly one-on-one meetings and quarterly professional development check-ins. Lab practices for mentorship and collaboration are described in the Fletcher Lab Manual.
In addition, a goal of the Stanford Impact Labs Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is to create a diverse community of scholars who are motivated and equipped to pursue academic careers focused on partnership and solutions-oriented research. Postdoctoral fellows will have the opportunity to engage with one another and with the broader Stanford Impact Labs team and community, and will participate in professional development, cohort-building, and other programming activities.
- Completion of all doctoral requirements within the past three years and no later than September 1st, 2023
- Research experience in applied computational modeling methods such as: simulation, optimization, or machine learning
- Research experience in water resources management or a related discipline
- Demonstrates excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Is committed to advancing solutions to social problems through rigorous research, and communicating research findings to diverse audiences, including non-academic audiences
- Wishes to grow their collaborative research skills and ability to partner with organizations
Candidates will be evaluated according to their:
- Scientific record and potential
- Commitment to pursuing scholarship that can impact public policy or social outcomes
- Potential contribution to the research team
- Potential contribution to the Stanford Impact Labs Postdoctoral Fellowship program and the educational activities, goals, and community of Stanford Impact Labs
- Potential for careers that will contribute to addressing historical inequities and advancing diversity
Complete applications should include:
- Letter of interest explaining your motivation to become a postdoc with the Fletcher Lab through the Stanford Impact Labs postdoctoral fellowship program (500 words max).
- Short responses to the following three prompts, in 300 words or less for each:
Please provide a short description of your dissertation research and broader research agenda.
How does your research training and expertise prepare you to make progress towards understanding and identifying practical solutions to social problems?
In what ways have you contributed towards and/or demonstrated a commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity through your academic career, and how do you plan to advance these commitments professionally?
- CV: Provide a curriculum vitae of no more than 5 pages.
- One representative writing sample such as a journal article or dissertation chapter.
Timeline:
- The priority deadline to submit applications is February 20, 2023.
- Those advancing will be notified and may be asked to submit additional materials, including letters of recommendation, and may be invited to interview. Please do not send emails asking about your status; you will be contacted by the faculty lead if you are advancing in the review process.
- Final selections will be made by the end of April 2023.