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Postdoctoral Associate – RULER in Chinese Kindergartens Project, Early Childhood Team

The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, part of the Child Study Center at the Yale School of Medicine, conducts research and teaches people of all ages how to develop their emotional intelligence. Our work focuses on (1) the development and impact of social and emotional skills among diverse populations, including education settings and organizations, and (2) the mechanisms by which social and emotional skills and training impact significant life outcomes.

We are looking for a full-time Postdoctoral Associate to join the Early Childhood Team (Co-PIs: Drs. Craig Bailey and Marc Brackett) to support the pilot and refinement of RULER in Chinese Kindergartens serving students ages 3–6. RULER is the school-based systemic approach to social and emotional learning. The purpose of this project is to pilot and study implementation with educators and students. In addition, this project will contribute to the science of early childhood SEL in China and foster future China-US collaboration. This work involves collaborating with several Chinese universities with lab Kindergartens.

The postdoctoral associate’s primary responsibility will be to lead mixed-method research efforts, including liaising with Chinese schools and partners; data collection, management, cleaning, and analysis, and reporting and dissemination. Data include qualitative and quantitative social-emotional, program fidelity, observational, and/or well-being from students and teachers. In addition, the postdoctoral associate will join a team of scholars contributing to a manuscript exploring SEL in Chinese early childhood settings with opportunities to lead several other manuscripts. The Early Childhood Director, Dr. Craig Bailey, will oversee day-to-day work assignments and be the primary supervisor. The Director of Research, Dr. Christina Cipriano, will provide additional supervision and professional support.

Yale University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer. Yale values diversity among its students, staff, and faculty and strongly welcomes applications from women, persons with disabilities, protected veterans, and underrepresented minorities.

Skills and Qualifications
·       Qualified candidates will have recently completed a PhD in psychology, education, or a related field
·       Specialization or demonstrated interest in the study of child development, early childhood education, implementation science, and/or emotions or emotional intelligence in China
·       Competence in quantitative and qualitative research methods, especially mixed-methods
·       Knowledge of Chinese culture and early childhood education with an interest and commitment to promoting international education is preferred
·       Fluency in both English and Mandarin is preferred
·       Ability to communicate effectively (e.g., writing research papers, giving presentations) 
·       Excellent writing skills demonstrated in academic publications
·       Strong project management skills
·       Ability to work both independently and collaboratively; an interest in mentorship is preferred

Hiring is ongoing with an anticipated start date as soon as possible. The position may start remotely in accordance with Yale University guidance around COVID-19 until the university resumes regular on-campus operations, which is planned for August 1, 2021 and as determined by the business needs of the department.

In accordance with university requirements for a safe return to in-person university operations, all faculty, staff, and postdoctoral and postgraduate trainees will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by August 1. For additional information, please visit https://your.yale.edu/work-yale/workplace-guidance/workplace-guidance-faqs.

To Apply
Please send a (1) cover letter, (2) CV, and (3) an example of academic writing to whitney.sanders@yale.edu. Within your cover letter, please address your skills and qualifications relative to the goals of the project. Priority will be given to candidates who apply by June 7, at 11:59PM EST. Applications will continue to be accepted after this date, but those received after this date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled. 

Qualified applicants may be contacted to schedule an interview and asked to submit three letters of recommendation.

ABOUT THE YALE CENTER FOR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Emotions drive learning, decision making, creativity, relationships, and health. The Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence uses the power of emotions to create a more effective and compassionate society. Helping children and adults develop emotional intelligence is central to the mission of the Center. To date, schools have been at the center of these efforts. RULER, the Center’s signature program, draws on leading pedagogical practices as well as advances in psychology and neuroscience, and it has been honed through years of classroom observation, interviews, and the most demanding evaluations. Creating awareness—both of self and others—about emotions and developing the skills of emotional intelligence can improve children’s prospects in life and contribute, in turn, to healthier, more compassionate families, workplaces, and communities. RULER does this by teaching adults and children the skills of emotional intelligence. Since 2005, more than 600 schools have implemented RULER, affecting the lives of over 500,000 students. Accordingly, we integrate emotional intelligence skill building, the basis of RULER, into their everyday practices and into classroom curricula across grade levels.