Postdoctoral Scholar - Department of Health Policy

At VCU, we take pride in our deep commitment to our postdoctoral community. In 2026, the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) named VCU as one of only 12 recipients of its inaugural Institutional Policy Awards, in recognition of our transformative efforts to elevate quality of life and workplace equity for postdocs.

VCU postdocs are Virginia state employees, with benefits mirroring 12-month faculty. We adhere closely to the NPA’s guidelines for best practices in postdoc training. We work closely with our local NPA chapter, the VCU Postdoc Association, to make this a welcoming and productive place to complete your training!

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Public Health is a premier academic medical center located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia.

The Office of Medicaid Evaluation (OME) in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Public Health seeks a postdoctoral research fellow. The fellow will work closely with Dr. Andrew Barnes and support work in the OME research and evaluation projects. These include Evaluations Of Medicaid Policies In Virginia Related To Maternal And Child Health As Well As Substance Use Disorder Treatment. The Fellow Will Work Closely With Dr.

Andrew Barnes And Other Faculty And Staff In The OME To

• Design studies and manage research projects
• Develop and implement research questions and, where applicable, testable hypotheses
• Develop appropriate statistical or related models, as well as conduct analysis
• Present research at scientific meetings and other relevant venues
• Write manuscripts suitable for peer review as lead author and participate in the manuscript development and publication process as a co-author
• Assist with grant and evaluation design preparation and related reports to generate and maintain funding

The fellow will also develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP) in collaboration with Dr. Barnes to support professional development, including an independent line of research. This position is available for at least one year, with subsequent years available contingent upon performance and availability of funding.

• Must have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in health policy, economics, health services research, or related discipline.
• Expertise in econometrics, claims data analysis, survey data analysis and Medicaid policy is required.
• Experience with research project coordination or leadership is required.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills required.
• Must have a track record of scholarly publications and presentations.
• An ability to work independently, as well as an ability to work professionally and efficiently within a research team is essential.
• Experience conducting econometric analysis using multiple programming languages (e.g., SAS, Stata, R) is essential.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a Postdoctoral Scholar at VCU.

• Experience with REDCap is a plus.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, interdisciplinary environment.
• Interest in contributing to publications and grants based on ongoing studies.
• Experience writing and submitting human subjects’ protocols and grant applications is desirable

Salary is commensurate with current NIH NRSA stipend guidelines and applicant experience.

All VCU employee types are eligible for a wide array of benefits to support you during your employment sult the benefits website for information on benefits eligibility according to employee type.

FLSA Exemption Status:
Exempt

ORP Eligible:
Yes

Contact:
Cian Brooks, brookst
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