STEP - Science and Technology in the European Periphery

NSF -Funded Postdoctoral Research Associate: "Assessing Assessments"

"Assessing Assessments" is a multiyear, collaborative project on the history of
scientific assessments, funded by the National Science Foundation. The goal is to understand how
scientists involved in formal assessments make the judgments they do. The primary focus on
the assessment of earth science relevant to public policy. The project currently seeks a
post-doctoral research associate to study the assessment process at the U.S. National
Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has a long tradition of bringing together
scientific experts to produce assessments on particular topics. This is a unique opportunity for
a research associate to reside in Washington, DC, to work closely with NAS staff to study
the assessment process, and to conduct ethnographic research to understand how scientific
research is crafted into an assessment report. The successful candidate will have a
Ph.D. in anthropology, history, sociology, science studies, or other relevant discipline, and
strong ethnographic skills. The researcher should have sufficient scientific background to
understand the technical issues at stake in the assessments.

The fellow will work under the joint supervision of Naomi Oreskes, UC San Diego, Michael
Oppenheimer, Princeton, and Dale Jamieson, NYU. This position will include salary and
full benefits from the University of California San Diego.

The initial appointment will be for one year, with the possibility of renewal. The work
will be based primarily in Washington DC, with travel to meet with the project team either
in New York or San Diego. Review of applications begins immediately and will continue
until the position is filled.

For details on the application procedure, please go to
http://research.ucsd.edu/postdoc/opportunities/results.aspx?ArtsHumaniti...