The Collegio Carlo Alberto (CCA) in Turin, Italy, is offering two post-doctoral positions to work with the new Behavioral Development Unit, a joint initiative of CCA and the Center for Social and Behavioral Change (CSBC) at Ashoka University in Delhi, India.

Post-docs will have the opportunity to contribute to research projects focused on pushing the boundaries in the study of topics such as social and gender norms, health, nutrition, and the design of public policies. Successful candidates should possess a Ph.D. in Economics, Political Science, Sociology, or related fields (with a significant quantitative component), research experience in behavioral science, an interest in fieldwork in developing countries, and motivation to generate knowledge with a social impact.

Gross salary and contributions: 30,000 EUR gross annual salary. Place of work: Turin, Italy.

 

Background.

Collegio Carlo Alberto is a foundation located in Turin, Italy, and created in 2004 as a joint initiative of the Compagnia di San Paolo and the University of Turin with the mission of fostering research and high education in the social sciences, in accordance with the values and practices of the international academic community.

Collegio Carlo Alberto (CCA) is looking for two post-doctoral researchers (post-docs) to work with the new Behavioural Development Unit, a joint initiative of CCA and the Center for Social and Behavioral Change (CSBC) at Ashoka University.

The unit aims to advance cutting-edge behavioural science research through systematic experimentation and observation, to enhance our knowledge and develop improved public policies. The unit is led by Sharon Barnhardt, who also serves as Director - Research at CSBC. Elena Esposito is the faculty coordinator and oversees scientific supervision.

The appointed post-docs will become part of a large international research team, which includes researchers at CCA and Ashoka University with expertise in economics, political science, sociology, public policy, psychology, and cognitive science. Post-docs will have the opportunity to contribute to research projects focused on pushing the boundaries in the study of topics such as social and gender norms, health, nutrition, and the design of public policies.  This is, thus, a unique opportunity to build a career in behavioural science. Beyond research, our goal is to generate knowledge that has social impacts.

 

Job description.

More specifically, the work will involve:

  1. Lead one applied experimental project in Uttar Pradesh annually aimed at designing and evaluating behavioural interventions to improve key development indicators, including anaemia, nutrition, women's labour force participation, family planning, financial inclusion, digital empowerment of women, and immunisation.
  2. Participate in joint proposal writing for international funding calls on related topics, incorporating the use of RCTs and lab experiments as appropriate.
  3. Participate remotely in bi-monthly, 3-hour design workshops for live behavioural design projects aimed at improving government-prioritised development indicators, including supplementation, nutrition, maternal and child health, and financial inclusion.
  4. Collaborate with the research activities of the unit, including empirical analysis and drafting research papers.

 

Contract details.

The contract is full-time, starting in the first quarter of 2024 (ideally on April 1st), with a duration of 24 months (and the possibility of renewal based on performance assessment). The place of work is CCA, Turin, Italy.

Gross salary and contributions: 30,000 EUR gross annual salary; in line with University and CCA post-doc standards.

 

How to apply and selection procedure.

If interested, please send a 1) CV of maximum 5 pages; 2) contact information of two references, and 3) a writing sample (research article, research proposal… ) by 15th January 2024. Please note that the previous deadline of December 21, 2023, has been extended due to logistical reasons. Submissions should be sent to the email applications.postdoc@carloalberto.org.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an online interview (on Skype or Zoom) that will take place in February 2024 with the Unit Coordinator and Director.

 

Essential Qualifications and Competencies:

  • PhD in Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, or related fields (with a significant experimental and/or quantitative component).
  • Fluency in English (both written and oral).
  • Strong methodological expertise in behavioural science and quantitative methods.
  • Demonstrated ability to write research findings effectively.
  • Proactive, self-managing, and able to contribute intellectually to the project.
  • Proficiency in relevant office software and statistical tools.
  • Team player with good oral and written communication skills.
  • Motivation in generating knowledge with a social impact.

 

Desirable Qualifications (not essential):

  • Research experience in areas related to health, nutrition, financial inclusion, or female empowerment.
  • Prior fieldwork experience in any developing country.

Experience in grant writing.