Pre-Doctoral Research Specialist, Behavior Change for Good

Pre-Doctoral Research Specialist, Behavior Change for Good

The Behavior Change for Good (BCFG) Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania, led by Professors Katherine Milkman and Angela Duckworth, is conducting large-scale field experiments designed to promote sustained behavior change across multiple domains. Our world-class team of scientific experts can continually test and improve behavior change programs by seamlessly incorporating the latest insights from their research into massive random-assignment experiments. We have formed partnerships with some of the world's largest organizations to reach millions of their students and customers. Learn more about BCFG at bcfg.upenn.edu or through this Freakonomics podcast describing BCFG's plans: http://tinyurl.com/bcfg2017

This is a full-time, limited-term position typically intended for recent graduates who are seeking predoctoral research experience. The position is designed for a duration of 2 years and cannot be extended beyond the initial term. The term for this position is June 2, 2027- June 1, 2029. Annual salary is in the range of $50,000-60,000 plus benefits.

Job Description

The Predoctoral Researcher will work closely with Professors Katherine Milkman and Angela Duckworth and the BCFG team on the development and evaluation of behavior change interventions across a wide variety of settings. The Predoctoral Researcher will manage and coordinate significant multi-site research projects for BCFG and for Professor Milkman's lab.

This position entails developing and implementing research designs, handling data collection and management, conducting data analysis, and preparing research reports.

Recent papers that BCFG Predoctoral Researchers have contributed to include:

• Duckworth, et al. (2025). A national megastudy shows that email nudges to elementary school teachers boost student math achievement, particularly when personalized. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
• Milkman, et al. (2024). Megastudy shows that reminders boost vaccination but adding free rides does not. Nature.
• Milkman, et al. (2022). A citywide experiment testing the impact of geographically targeted, high-pay-off vaccine lotteries. Nature Human Behavior.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 1-2 years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. A background in Economics, Psychology, Behavioral Economics, or Behavioral Science is preferred. The ideal candidate will have a strong attention to detail, taken classes on econometrics and be proficient in either STATA or R, and comfortable working on UNIX servers. The anticipated start date for this position is June 2026.

• Please submit a resume and cover letter for consideration.

• This is a 2-year position that is contingent on continued funding.

• Job Location - City, State

• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Department / School

• Wharton School

• Pay Range

• $45,278.00 - $50,000.00 Annual Rate

• Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

• Equal Opportunity Statement

• The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

• Special Requirements

• Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

• University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-