Stanford University

Postdoctoral Fellowship | Mental Health

The country is facing a mental health crisis. The Stanford Social Media Lab  invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher to examine the connections between social media and mental health, with an emphasis on young people and design interventions and transformative solutions to this societal challenge.

Under the mentorship of Professor Jeff Hancock, the selected postdoc will operate within the Cyber Policy Center's ambit. Moreover, they will integrate into the expansive fellowship program offered by the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) at Stanford University.

We are particularly interested in a postdoctoral scholar that focuses on the intersection of social technologies and mental health in the domain of social sciences. Prospective research areas span, but are not confined to, the relationship between social media and well-being, strategic interventions concerning youth mental health, the policy ramifications tied to social media, and the ripple effects new technologies like large language models may have on these relationships.

This role is slated as a full-time position for one year, with a potential extension for a second year. The selected candidate will benefit from a competitive compensation package inclusive of an array of benefits.


Responsibilities:

  • Conduct research on the nexus between social media and well-being, demonstrating proficiency in handling large datasets.

  • Work closely with the research teams at Stanford Social Media Lab and the Cyber Policy Center. We expect our fellows to participate in Cyber Policy Center research seminars and produce policy-relevant work, which could include media appearances, published articles, or briefings to or workshops for government or international organization officials, ideally in collaboration with researchers from other disciplines.

  • Collaborate with a team of researchers from various disciplines to develop new methods and approaches for applying, evaluating and reporting the impact of social media on mental health.

  • Write and publish research papers in leading conferences and journals.

  • Contribute to the development of new research projects and grant proposals.

  • Applicates with backgrounds in psychology, communication, human-computer interaction, and data science are encouraged to apply. All fellows are expected to be in the final stages of or have recently completed a terminal degree in their discipline, ideally a Ph.D.

 

Application Details

Submission of a formal application is required for all individuals who wish to be in residence as visiting fellows, whether they need funding or have independent support. Applications are run in partnership with the CISAC Fellowship Program.

All application materials, including recommendations, must be in English. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all materials, including letters of reference, are submitted by the deadline stated above. Please do not submit supplemental materials such as books, lengthy manuscripts, or more than the required number of recommendations.

Online submission of application must include:

  • Completed online application form

  • Resume/CV

  • Graduate school transcript (Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. All pre- and postdoctoral applicants must include a transcript. Junior faculty and professionals may include a transcript, but are not required to do so.)

  • Research project prospectus or description of dissertation (1,500 words max, not including footnotes/endnotes)

  • Research abstract (200 words max)

  • Writing sample (50 pages max)

  • Three confidential letters of recommendation. Please note that recommendation letter services, such as Interfolio, may not use our online recommendation letter submission system. Please advise your recommenders to upload their letters directly to the SlideRoom system.

 

Online Application Instructions

Access the application by clicking the Apply link below. 

Note, you'll be applying through the Stanford University Center for International Security and Cooperation Fellowship Program (2024-2025) application portal via SlideRoom, and will need to create an account.