Postdoctoral Scholar

Posting Details

Posting Details Job Title: Postdoctoral Scholar Requisition Number: DU14423 Department Name: 8T110 College of Social Work Work Location: Lexington, KY Salary Range: Salary commensurate with NIH postdoctoral scale Type of Position: Other Position Time Status: Full-Time

Required Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Public Health, Criminal Justice, or a related behavioral or social science field.

Required Related Experience: Demonstrated experience working on research or evaluation projects. Demonstrated commitment to social justice and community-engaged research.

Required License/Registration/Certification: NA

Physical Requirements:

• Repetitive motion typical of desk work
• Sitting
• Bending
• Typing
• Twisting
• Prolonged exposure to computer screen time
• Lifting, pushing, pulling up to 25lbs.

Shift: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, evenings and weekends on an as needed basis

Job Summary

THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK (CoSW) is a renowned leader in higher education. Our mission is clear: Through rigorous research, excellence in instruction, and steadfast service, the CoSW works to improve the human condition. Always in all ways.

As the states flagship university, CoSW is committed to actualizing our mission through innovative, accessible academic programming. CoSW is home to several undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, including:

• Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice (traditional and online)
• Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (traditional and online)
• Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (traditional and online)
• Master of Science in Criminal Justice (online)
• Master of Social Work (hybrid and online)
• Doctorate of Social Work (online)
• Ph.D. in Social Work (traditional)
• Multiple certificate programs

In addition to Lexingtons main campus, we have a satellite campus at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.

To continue to advance our support infrastructure for CoSW, we invite applicants for a 12-month Postdoctoral Scholar position to begin as early as July 2026 or August 2026.

This Postdoctoral Scholar position will support several active and expanding research and evaluation projects focused on:

• Juvenile justice
• Trauma-informed systems
• Child and family well-being
• Community-based interventions

The Postdoctoral Scholar will play a critical role in ensuring timely and high-quality implementation of complex mixed-methods studies, supporting project deliverables, applying for external funding, completing publications, and supporting dissemination products.

The position will enhance the Colleges research infrastructure by:

• Providing support in data management, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and manuscript development
• Supporting proposal development for new external funding
• Strengthening partnerships with state agencies and community organizations
• Accelerating the production of peer-reviewed publications and translational products

The Postdoctoral Scholar will:

• Plan, organize, coordinate, and participate in scientific research and evaluation projects
• Work closely with principal investigators to manage research activities and, as appropriate, coordinate students and project staff
• Lead and support data management, data cleaning, analysis, interpretation, and data visualization
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative data analyses
• Prepare and edit reports, presentations, manuscripts, and other scholarly and translational products
• Present research findings to professional, academic, and community audiences
• Develop scientific products for submission to peer-reviewed journals
• Contribute to the preparation of grant proposals and other external funding submissions
• Engage with community and agency partners in interpretation and dissemination of findings
• Support the development of their own scholarly trajectory aligned with CoSW research priorities

Applicants are requested to submit the following:

• Letter of interest detailing applicants goodness of fit for the position, a brief discussion of research agenda, and relevant experience managing projects and applying for funding (upload as Cover Letter)
• Curriculum Vitae (upload as Resume)
• Research statement that summarizes applicants current interests, trajectory, and impact on the social work or criminal justice field (upload as Specific Request 1)
• Contact information for at least three professional references (upload as Specific Request 2)

Inquiries about the position can be emailed to ukcosw@uky.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:

• Strong quantitative and/or qualitative analytic skills (e.g., Stata, SPSS, R, MPlus, NVivo, ATLAS.ti)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in team-based research environments

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? No

Preferred Education and Experience:

• A defined research agenda related to one or more of the following:
• Child or adolescent well-being
• Juvenile justice
• Trauma
• Mental health services
• Resilience
• Community-engaged research
• Established record of scholarly publications or manuscripts under review
• Experience leading or managing research teams or complex projects
• Experience working with interdisciplinary teams and community or state agency partners
• Experience with mixed-methods research designs
• Experience contributing to or leading grant writing and proposal development

Deadline to Apply: 09/01/2026

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn, and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients, and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of:

• Race
• Color
• National origin
• Ethnic origin
• Religion
• Creed
• Age
• Physical or mental disability
• Veteran status
• Uniformed service
• Political belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity
• Gender expression
• Pregnancy
• Marital status
• Genetic information
• Social or economic status

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk.

Applicant Documents

Required Documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Specific Request 1
• Specific Request 2

Optional Documents: