Bellwether Postdoctoral Scholar - School of Information

Position overview

Position title: Bellwether Postdoctoral Scholar

Salary range: The UC postdoc salary scales set the minimum pay determined by experience level  the following table for the current salary scale for this position: https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). The current minimum salary range for this position is $69,073-$74,281. Salaries above the minimum may be offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions. A reasonable estimate for this position is $10,000 higher than the posted minimum, dependent on experience level at appointment.

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start: As soon as July 2026. Exact start date contingent on completion of degree and is also negotiable.

Review timeline: Review will begin in March and finish in April.

Position duration: 2 years.

Open date: February 13, 2026

Next review date: Saturday, Feb 28, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Friday, Mar 20, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time). Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

The School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley invites applications for up to three new full-time Bellwether Postdoctoral Scholars to start as soon as July 2026. The exact start date is negotiable. These positions are available for two years, and are non-renewable. J-1 visa sponsorship is available for this position.

These postdoctoral positions are for academics in the early stages of their career who demonstrate exceptional potential as a scholar and researcher. Applicants should either have completed a doctoral degree, or be able to convincingly demonstrate that they will complete the degree before they intend to start this postdoctoral position (e.g. by documenting a scheduled viva/final defense).

We are seeking applicants with active research plans in any of the following areas:

BPS
1) We seek applicants pursuing a research agenda at the intersection of computer science and applied economics, with interdisciplinary training and interests in both topics. The successful applicant will work on projects that address pressing policy issues, using a mix of quantitative and computational methods (e.g., econometrics, data science, AI/ML). Examples of active projects include, but are not limited to, developing theory and methods for robust and equitable decision making in social settings;

the use of machine learning and digital data to guide resource allocation and related policies in low-income countries; and creating and validating new techniques for monitoring living standards and well‑being in high‑stakes policy environments. This position will be supervised by Joshua Blumenstock.

BPS
2) We seek applicants with interdisciplinary training and interests pursuing a research agenda at the intersection of information science, computational social science, and public‑interest research. The successful applicant will work on projects that examine how sociotechnical information systems shape high‑stakes decision‑making across digital and institutional contexts to address pressing issues in information access, trustworthiness, and credibility, using a mix of computational, quantitative, and qualitative methods (e.g., natural language processing, digital trace data, surveys, and interviews).

Examples of active projects include, but are not limited to, studying online communities as informal information infrastructures; analyzing how search engines and digital platforms structure the visibility and credibility of information; developing methods to monitor and contextualize misinformation and uncertainty in sensitive or politicized domains; and advancing conceptual frameworks for understanding information ecosystems as structural determinants of equity, autonomy, and well‑being, including but not limited to health‑related contexts.

BPS
3) We seek applicants with active research plans in climate and sustainability informatics, leveraging…