Position Description

The UCLA Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) was established in August 2023 to support UCLA’s educational mission to engage a university-wide community of scholars composed of educators and the diverse learners they serve in a collaborative process to discover and advance knowledge and practice across the disciplines both in and beyond the classroom. The TLC is a key driver of innovation and excellence in teaching across UCLA’s broad academic landscape, a campus resource for programming in support of inclusive and evidence-based teaching practices, and a champion of pedagogical research.

The TLC invites applicants for a position of Pedagogical Research Postdoctoral Scholar to support the Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning (VPTL) in developing a research agenda for the newly established Pedagogical Research and Scholarly Teaching (PRST) unit of the TLC. The position is a full-time appointment with a start date of January 1, 2026. Salary range is commensurate with experience. The position comes with University benefits. This appointment is for 2 years with the possibility of extension.

Overview of the Position

Pedagogical Research and Scholarly Teaching (PRST) is a new unit within the TLC devoted to advancing action research, discipline-based education research (DBER), the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), and interdisciplinary research in the learning sciences. PRST brings together faculty, including Professors of Teaching, TLC staff, and campus partners (including students) as thought leaders in investigatory teams to identify research themes, secure funding, and pilot projects that elevate teaching excellence, accelerate instructional innovation, and promote pedagogical experimentation and discovery across the disciplines at UCLA. Current research projects include empirical investigations of evidence-based teaching practices, the impact of educational technology (i.e. Artificial Intelligence) and technology-enhanced learning spaces, systematic studies of instructional modalities and other methodological interventions at the undergraduate and graduate student levels, and faculty engagement in professional teaching development. The Pedagogical Research Postdoctoral Scholar will work collaboratively with the VPTL to contribute to TLC’s mission of increasing the use of data-informed pedagogical practices.

Core Responsibilities

• Develop theory of change, conduct literature reviews, and design IRB-approved, mixed-method empirical studies to examine the impact of educational interventions.
• Engage with graduate research assistants, project team members, and TLC staff to focus, improve, and evaluate the efficacy or feasibility of research approaches.
• Support extramural grant proposal writing and study design including logic model development.
• Create and administer assessments, collect data, analyze results, report and disseminate research findings.
• Establish and maintain data collection and management standards for the PRST.
• Work collaboratively with the VPTL to author research manuscripts, prepare and present research conference papers, posters, and talks.
• Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned by the VPTL.

Qualifications and application instructions

Applicants who are All But Dissertation (ABD) and will have received their Ph.D. degree by December 31, 2025, are encouraged to apply.

To apply, candidates should submit a cover letter expressing their interest in the position, curriculum vitae, sample of academic writing that includes a section on research methods (e.g., article, dissertation chapter), and the names and contact information for three professional references. Please complete reference check authorization release form and upload with your application materials.

This position is represented by the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW): https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargainingunits/px/contract.html.

Questions about the position should be directed to Professor Erin Sanders O’Leary, Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, at [email protected].

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• D. in higher education, sociology, psychology, or other social science discipline.
• Advanced quantitative data collection and analytical skills.
• Experience with qualitative and mixed-methods research design and analyses.
• Ability to conduct survey research in an educational setting.
• Ability to develop data management plans and maintain data integrity, confidentiality, and ethical standards in survey research and data management.
• Excellent verbal/written communication skills.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and mentorship abilities.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to complete complex projects according to deadlines
• Ability to work independently, be flexible, and pay attention to detail.
• Ability to be a productive, collegial contributor to and leader of diverse teams of professionals in pedagogy, assessment, and institutional research.

Additional Qualifications

• This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement within the state of California; the incumbent must reside within the state of California or be willing to relocate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience studying student learning, evidence-based teaching practices, curriculum development, and/or faculty engagement in professional development in higher education.
• Familiarity with a variety of qualitative research methods, including but not limited to ethnography, interviews, focus groups, and content analysis.
• Background engaging with campus data stewards, including institutional research (IR) offices.
• Experience with Institutional Review Board (IRB) applications supporting Human Subjects Research in Social and Behavioral Sciences.
• Skill in engaging nontechnical audiences in meaningful discussion about data and statistical results as it relates to teaching and classroom assessment; experience building consensus among stakeholders leading to educational reform at course, program, and/or department level.
• Ability to use tools to code qualitative data (e.g., nVivo), survey platforms (e.g., Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey), data visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Tableau), and data management software (e.g., Excel, Google sheets).

Application Requirements

Document Requirements

• Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
• Cover Letter
• Academic Writing - Sample of academic writing that includes a section on research methods (e.g., article, dissertation chapter).
• Reference check authorization release form - Complete and upload the reference check authorization release form
• UCLA Mission Statement

As the nation's premier public research university, UC's mission is the creation, dissemination, preservation and application of knowledge for the betterment of our global society. We have a particular responsibility to the people of the state of California which we express in the excellence of the education we provide, the impact of the research we do, the comprehensive, life-saving medical services we provide, and the public service mission we are devoted to. The University of California promotes the social mobility of its students, equips them with the tools and experience that furthers their ambitions, and regards their accomplishments across the life span as evidence of the profoundly positive impact of higher education.

The UCLA campus has expressed these goals in its strategic plan as follows:

Deepen our engagement with Los Angeles

Expand our reach as a global university

Enhance our research and creative activities

Elevate how we teach

Become a more effective institution

Prompt for candidates for recruitment:

Reflecting on your personal and professional experiences, highlight your past contributions and future commitments to advancing UCLA's mission as embodied in the 2023-28 strategic plan. These accomplishments and ambitions may be discussed in the context of describing your teaching, scholarship, and service.

Reference Requirements

• 3 required (contact information only)

Provide the names and contact information for three professional references when submitting an application. Applicants will be contacted when letters of recommendation is needed.

Apply Link

https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF10683

Help Contact

[email protected]