Population Council’s GIRL Center Invites Post-doctoral Fellow: Advancing Global Research on Adolescence

 

The Population Council’s GIRL Center is inviting applications for its Post-doctoral Fellow position, a unique opportunity for emerging scholars dedicated to advancing research on adolescents worldwide. Operating at the intersection of demography, public health, economics, and social sciences, the Population Council is launching a bold new social science research institute designed to tackle urgent global questions shaped by demographic change. This fellowship provides an exceptional pathway for early-career researchers to contribute to high-impact studies and influence evidence-based policy and practice.

The application deadline is March 15, 2026.

About the Population Council’s GIRL Center

The Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center serves as a global hub for cutting-edge research on adolescence. Its mission focuses on generating, synthesizing, and translating evidence to support better decision-making for young people. The Center envisions a gender-equitable world in which girls and boys experience safe, healthy, and empowered transitions to adulthood.

Over the years, the GIRL Center has made major contributions to the field, producing influential research on topics such as child marriage, education and health linkages, and the lived experiences of child domestic workers. It has launched widely used resources, including the Adolescent Data Hub and the Adolescent Atlas for Action, and regularly convenes researchers, donors, and policymakers to drive conversations on what works for young people globally.

Position Summary

The Post-doctoral Fellow will join a dynamic team of global researchers and contribute to one or more of the Center’s thematic focus areas: adolescent economic empowerment, adolescents in digital spaces, adolescent mental health, or adolescents affected by humanitarian contexts. The position may be based in New York, London, or Nairobi, with a one-year appointment and potential renewal based on performance and funding.

Working under the guidance of the Director and senior researchers, the Fellow will receive close mentorship, contribute to rigorous research initiatives, and participate in knowledge dissemination efforts. This role is ideal for a recent PhD graduate eager to deepen their research expertise and strengthen their contributions to global adolescent wellbeing.

Key Responsibilities

Fellows will collaborate on cross-country research projects aligned with GIRL Center priorities. Core responsibilities include:

• Defining and managing research on high-priority adolescent-focused topics
• Identifying research gaps and conducting systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and secondary data analyses
• Partnering with internal and external researchers to design and implement research
• Developing technical collaborations with research institutions and stakeholders
• Producing academic papers, policy briefs, and other publications
• Representing the Center at meetings, workshops, and conferences
• Supporting project development and related tasks

Qualifications and Experience

The GIRL Center encourages applications from emerging scholars with passion for adolescent wellbeing and strong research foundations. Applicants should have:

• A recently completed PhD in economics, demography, public health, sociology, or related fields
• 3–5 years of pre-doctoral research experience
• A track record of scientific writing or contributions to publications and grants
• Experience working with under-resourced or marginalized adolescent populations
• Strong quantitative research skills, including data management and analysis using tools such as STATA
• Experience engaging policymakers, practitioners, donors, and research partners
• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Candidates should demonstrate strong organizational abilities, independent work ethic, attention to detail, and the capacity to manage multiple priorities. Fluency in English is required; French is an added advantage.

Terms and Application Details

The fellowship includes a monthly stipend and individual health insurance coverage. Applicants based in the US or UK must already have the legal right to work; visa support will be available for Nairobi-based fellows.

To apply, candidates must submit:

1. A cover letter outlining qualifications, research interests, and career goals
2. A current CV

Application Deadline

All applications must be submitted by March 15, 2026.

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Application can be accessed from here.

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