Career Center

The School of Public Health is committed to anti-racism and anti-oppression in our mission and operations. In pursuit of this goal, we consider an applicant’s record working with individuals from historically marginalized backgrounds, and experience identifying and eliminating systemic barriers to success in an academic environment. SPH seeks to increase the diversity of its workforce, we particularly encourage applications from those who belong to groups that have been historically underrepresented in our discipline, including those who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color, those with disabilities, and those from LGBTQIA+ communities.

We are currently accepting applications for one rural health postdoctoral associate position beginning on or after July/August 1, 2023.

At the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center (RHRC), we conduct policy-relevant research to improve the lives of rural residents and families, to advance health equity, and to enhance the vitality of rural communities. We invite scholars from diverse backgrounds to apply for the RHRC’s Rural Health Equity Postdoctoral Program. The program will support the professional development of researchers who can address critical gaps in knowledge by doing the following:

1. Conduct research to inform the development, implementation, and evaluation of health policy that advances health equity in individuals, families, and communities, with a focus on rural areas and geographic inequities.
2. Study the impacts of institutional and governmental policies that affect health care access, health care quality, maternity care, social determinants of health, systems of care and services, and population health outcomes across the lifespan, with a focus on pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.
3. Focus and engage with rural populations that face structural barriers to good health outcomes, including the following: communities of color, Indigenous people, women and girls, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, older adults, and people with limited incomes.
4. Conduct research in partnership with communities, and communicate findings to policymakers and back to communities, highlighting the impact of decisions for individual, family, and community health.

The primary goal of this program is to train scholars who will become innovative research leaders in rural health. The postdoctoral associate will receive mentorship and support from the RHRC leadership and staff and closely collaborate on projects.

The focus of the current position is on rural maternity care and the health and well-being of rural residents who are pregnant and those who give birth. The supervisor for this postdoctoral associate will be RHRC Director, Dr. Katy Backes Kozhimannil.

The postdoctoral associate will be expected to co-lead, with RHRC faculty or staff, a one-year rural health focused project (Sep-Aug) that is specified by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. During the first year of the program, the associate will have an opportunity to provide input to shape a one-year project that they could lead or co-lead during the second year of the program. Results from these two projects will be published as peer-reviewed manuscripts, publicly-available policy briefs, and disseminated at rural-relevant conferences. RHRC’s work is characterized by rapid turnaround, policy-relevant, rigorous research that informs decision-making and improves the health of rural communities.

The associate will also have an opportunity to develop and implement an independent rural health equity research project focused on rural Minnesota. The specific focus and methodology of this project will depend on the expertise and interest of the associate, but may include quantitative analysis, qualitative data collection and analysis, and community-engaged work.

This is a two-year position, with the second year of funding being contingent on successful completion of the first. This is a 100% FTE position over a 2-year period using standard NIH postdoctoral position salary range; travel stipend to attend a national conference each year will also be made available.

Application Due Date: April 14, 2023. We will begin reviewing applications following the application due date.

Salary range: NIH standard postdoctoral salary ($60,000-$65,000 USD annually)

Any questions related to the position can be directed to Katie Rydberg at reedx472@umn.edu.

Postdoctoral associates must have (or will complete before the scheduled start date) the following requirements:

• Graduated from a doctoral program with a focus in health policy, public health, demography, geography, sociology, or a closely-related discipline
• Training and demonstrated excellence in methods/statistics, including analysis of survey data, claims data, and/or qualitative data; our research needs focus on quantitative analysis of secondary data.
• Ability to conduct rigorous research efficiently in a fast-paced, policy-relevant, community-engaged environment.
• Recently graduated individuals with a focus on racial equity, including rural Black and Indigenous people, are especially encouraged to apply.
• Experience with data analysis in a US Census Research Data Center and US Census Special Sworn Status are preferred, but not required.