The Schaeffer Center is seeking a Research Scientist, who will work closely with the Co-Director of the Aging and Cognition Program to plan, design, and execute research projects in the areas of economics of aging, cognitive and functional health over the lifecourse, risk, care and economic outcomes of dementia, Parkinson’s disease and other neurological diseases.
This position is a one-year appointment with the possibility of renewal dependent on needs of the projects and the Research Scientist’s progress toward developing and securing external funding.
Key duties include, but are not limited to:
Planning, designing, and conducting of highly specialized, technical, and complex research projects independently
Contributing to the development of advanced concepts, techniques, and standards
Identifying, researching, compiling, and evaluating data sources, background information and/or technology related to area of specialization
Developing and applying dynamic microsimulation data programming skills
Analyzing and evaluating survey and administration claims research data and providing interpretations requiring significant knowledge of a specialized area of research
Developing data files and research documentation
Writing papers and publishing study results
Presenting at academic conferences
Providing leadership, direction, and guidance to staff and/or student workers
Minimum Education:
Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate
Minimum Experience:
5 years directly related education and experience in research specialization with highly advanced knowledge of equipment, procedures, analysis methods, principles, theories, and concepts.
Must have demonstrated leadership in developing new ideas and ability to publish in academic outlets (i.e., first authored publications, conceptual leadership in the development of publications generated alone or with others, and/or writing of first drafts of publications and/or single authored publications).
Compensation
The annual base salary range for this position is $117,128 - $132,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.
Position is 100% FTE, grant funded
Hybrid work arrangement
Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.
Required Documents
Cover letter
Resume/CV
About the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics
Since its establishment in 2009, the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics has served as an intellectual hub for health policy and health economics research at USC. The Schaeffer Center’s mission is to measurably improve value in health through evidence-based policy solutions, research excellence, and private and public sector engagement. The Center ranks 4th in the world in health economics, and is a trusted resource for Congress, federal agencies (including CMS, FDA, CBO, and NIH), and organizations such as the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. The Aging and Cognition Research Program at the Schaeffer Center brings together experts from across USC who are conducting research on the fiscal and health consequences of longevity and of an aging population.
The Schaeffer Center is a collaboration between the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the USC Price School of Public Policy, and it is a flagship program of the Leonard D. Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service.
About the USC Schaeffer Institute
The USC Schaeffer Institute develops evidence-based solutions to address the nation’s most pressing policy issues. It serves as a policy laboratory to develop and test ideas generated by the USC academic community, fosters civic engagement, and provides a forum to reach federal policymakers.
Established by an historic gift from Leonard D. Schaeffer in 2024, it houses three flagship programs: the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, the Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service, and the Center for Civic Society.
Schaeffer experts have testified before numerous Congressional committees and are regularly sought out by media outlets—including the New York Times, NPR, Stat, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post—to provide insight on policy issues.
The Schaeffer Institute is home to more than 150 scholars and staff, including three Nobel Laureates and seven members of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It has offices at USC in Los Angeles and at the USC Capital Campus in Washington, DC.
About the Sol Price School of Public Policy
Ranked among the foremost schools of public policy in the nation, the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy generates uncommon knowledge for the common good. The school is composed of overlapping disciplines that generate innovative approaches to critical issues ranging from health-care policy to homelessness, and sustainability to congestion – to name a few. A wide-ranging curriculum, including extensive experiential learning, prepares our graduates to navigate problems that demand multi-layered solutions driven by critical, informed thinking.
The Price School, founded in 1929, is anchored by four departments: Public Policy and Management, Health Policy and Management, Wilbur H. Smith III Department of Real Estate Development, and Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis. The School’s rigorous academic programs provide students with the knowledge and distinctive opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their professions. Integrating classroom instruction with real-world experience and led by some of the world’s most renowned faculty in their fields, our students establish a clear pathway to successful careers.
Our academic programs are augmented by numerous research centers, institutes and initiatives that provide additional research expertise and experiences, notable among them are: The Judith and John Bedrosian Center on Governance and the Public; The Center for Philanthropy and Public Policy; The USC Lusk Center for Real Estate; The METRANS Transportation Consortium; The Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics; and The Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. Together, they account for over $100 million in externally funded research grants and contracts.
Together, these departments and research enterprises provide unmatched breadth and depth to tackle an enormous range of challenges facing our country and the world. Price graduates hold leadership positions across diverse sectors – public, private, and nonprofit – championing the advancement of the common good. They come from around the world and from a variety of cultures and socio-economic backgrounds to create a rich intellectual environment that celebrates, supports and benefits from a variety of backgrounds and opinions.
About the Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is located on the USC Health Sciences Campus, which includes the Keck Hospital of USC, the Norris Cancer Hospital, Doheny Eye Institute, and the flagship LAC+USC Medical Center, along with directing five university- and community-based pharmacies, adding a sixth in South Los Angeles in 2023. Ranked by US News and World Report as the #1 private pharmacy school in the United States, and the #2 overall school according to World Scholarship Forum, the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is recognized for its more than century-long reputation for innovation and leadership in pharmaceutical education, practice, research, and service to the community and to the profession. The school uniquely spans the entire spectrum of pharmaceutical development and clinical care – from drug discovery to regulatory approaches that promote safety and innovation, from delivery of contemporary patient care services to evaluating the impact of care provision on patient outcomes and costs. The school’s dynamic faculty is involved in all levels of pharmacy education: from undergraduate majors to multiple MS and PhD graduate programs, from the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program with dual degree options to a wide variety of advanced clinical residency and fellowship training, and from laboratory to bedside learning experiences. The school has recently received a $50 million endowment from the Alfred E. Mann Foundation to name the school and to support student scholarships, faculty development and recruitment, and integrated biomedical innovation.
USC will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring ordinance.
Minimum Education: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying.
We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.
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