Postdoctoral Scholar - Department of Health Policy

Virginia Commonwealth University; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Public Health seeks a postdoctoral research fellow to support Medicaid evaluation projects in Virginia. The fellow will collaborate with Dr.

Andrew Barnes and the Office of Medicaid Evaluation (OME) to design studies, develop research questions, and conduct econometric analyses using SAS, Stata, and R. The role includes presenting findings, authoring manuscripts, and contributing to grant design and reporting.

Qualifications

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Econometrics

Claims data analysis

Survey data analysis

Medicaid policy

Research coordination

Written and oral communication

Publications and presentations

Independent work in a team

Education

Ph.D. or equivalent in health policy/economics/health services research

Tools

SAS

Stata

R

REDCap

Job description

Position Description and Responsibilities

At VCU, we take pride in our deep commitment to our postdoctoralcommunity. 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 workplaceequity for postdocs.

VCU postdocs are Virginia state employees, with benefits mirroring12-month faculty. We adhere closely to the NPA’s guidelines for best practices in postdoctraining. We work closely with our local NPA chapter, the VCUPostdoc Association, to make this a welcoming and productive placeto complete your training!

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

The Office of Medicaid Evaluation (OME) in the VirginiaCommonwealth University School of Public Health seeks apostdoctoral research fellow. The fellow will work closely with Dr.Andrew Barnes and support work in the OME research and evaluationprojects. These include evaluations of Medicaid policies in Virginia related to maternaland child health as well as substance use disorder treatment. Thefellow will work closely with Dr. Andrew Barnes and other facultyand 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 asconduct analysis


• Present research at scientific meetings and other relevantvenues


• Write manuscripts suitable for peer review as lead author andparticipate in the manuscript development and publication processas a co-author


• Assist with grant and evaluation design preparation and relatedreports to generate and maintain funding

The fellow will also develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP)in collaboration with Dr. Barnes to support professionaldevelopment, including an independent line of research. Thisposition is available for at least one year, with subsequent yearsavailable contingent uponperformance and availability of funding.

Minimum Qualifications

• 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 dataanalysis and Medicaid policy is required.


• Experience with research project coordination or leadership isrequired.


• Exceptional written and oral communication skillsrequired.


• Must have a track record of scholarly publications andpresentations.


• An ability to work independently, as well as an ability to workprofessionally and efficiently within a research team isessential.


• Experience conducting econometric analysis using multipleprogramming languages (e.g., SAS, Stata, R) is essential.


• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environmentof respect, professionalism and civility with a population offaculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences,or a commitment to do so as a Postdoctoral Scholar at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with REDCap is a plus.


• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, interdisciplinaryenvironment.


• Interest in contributing to publications and grants based onongoing studies.


• Experience writing and submitting human subjects’ protocols andgrant applications is desirable

Salary Range

Salary is commensurate with current NIH NRSAstipend guidelines and applicant experience.

Benefits

All VCU employee types are eligible for a widearray of benefits to support you during your employment at VCU.Consult the benefits websitefor information on benefits eligibility according to employeetype.

FLSA Exemption Status

Exempt

ORP Eligible

Yes

Contact

Cian Brooks, [e-mail]

","IsExpired":false}