Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Food Ingredient Safety Science Communication
The School for the Future of Innovation in Society and the Risk Innovation Lab (RIL) at Arizona
State University invite applicants for one POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOW as part of a
new program on food and other consumer product ingredient safety communication. The
successful candidate will be working with a team of researchers and communications specialists
on a high impact communications initiative on science related to food and other consumer
product ingredient safety.
This is a unique opportunity for a PhD graduate in food ingredient toxicology or similar who is
looking to transition their career from research to science communication, or to add a significant
communications dimension to their academic skill set. The successful candidate will be
mentored in effective science communication, and will be provided with opportunities to practice
and develop their communication skills, develop professional networks, and write high visibility
articles for a broad audience. Under the guidance of members of the RIL, they will work toward
building their own media profile by fostering collaborative partnerships with leading scientists,
companies, regulators and policymakers, NGOs, and journalists working with print, online and
broadcast media.
The fellowship is available for one year and renewable for up to one additional year, contingent
on satisfactory performance, availability of funding, and the needs of the university. The
successful candidate will be required to use their scientific training and expertise, together with
exceptional written and verbal communication skills to, connect the work of the Center For
Research on Ingredient Safety (the ‘Center’) and the RIL–with media, industry, policy makers,
and the public. They will be responsible for developing and implementing a program of work
that, in collaboration with senior faculty and personnel, leads to high impact communication and
engagement - primarily within the domain of food ingredient safety, but also extending to
personal care products and other consumer products.
The successful candidate will be responsible for:
•
•
•
Developing and utilizing innovative approaches to making the science on food and
consumer ingredient safety accessible, understandable and engaging to a broad range
of stakeholders;
Developing and implementing approaches to identifying and prioritizing emerging issues
around ingredient safety, drawing on, but not limited to, the expertise and insights of
Center members and partners; and
Developing and implementing mechanisms for identifying and rapidly providing clear,
evidence-informed information and commentary to media, consumers and others around
high profile and breaking ingredient safety issues.
They will be expected to continue to develop and apply a high level of expertise in the areas of
ingredient safety, science communication and policy.
As a newly established position, the successful candidate will lead efforts to build strong
working relationships and partnerships with industry, policy-makers and other stakeholders
within the domain of ingredient safety. Working at the intersection of science, policy, industry
and consumers, they will contribute to agenda setting in food ingredient safety by developing
compelling stakeholder relevant content.
Required Qualifications:
An individual with a PhD (by the time of appointment) and research experience in food and/or
personal care products ingredient toxicology is preferred, although applicants with similar
qualifications and experience will be considered. Applicants should have strong written and oral
communications skills and a demonstrated ability to translate scientific research into accessible
information for non-expert audiences. They should have a passion for translating science for
non-science audiences, and a clear desire to either develop a career in this area, or to develop
their career as an active academic communicator. Previous experience with industry and public
engagement is highly desired, but not essential.
How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit, as a single PDF document, a cover letter, CV, writing
sample, and the names and contact information of two referees to Dr. Diana Bowman via email
(Diana.Bowman@asu.edu). The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position
and outline skills and experiences that directly relate to this position. To be considered for the
position, a writing sample that demonstrates your ability to communicate complex scientific
information to non-specialist audiences must accompany the application. Initial review of
applications will begin on Friday November 20, 2015 and continue every week thereafter until
the position is closed. A background check is required for employment.
Additional Information:
The position will be based at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. The successful
candidate will be required to travel to Michigan State University, East Lansing and Washington,
D.C., on a semi-regular basis to engage with the project partners and stakeholders. This is
initially available as a two-year Fellowship.
This appointment is dependent upon funding from a specific source other than state
appropriations. As such, this appointment may terminate if funding is not available.
Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented
combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New
American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses
positively impacting the economic, social, cultural, and environmental health of the communities
it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that
traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 70,000 students in
metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation’s sixth largest city. ASU champions intellectual and
cultural diversity, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred
nations across the globe.
The School for the Future of Innovation in Society (SFIS) recognizes that
• Innovation is a complex system in which both social and technical elements and their
interactions are crucial in creating desired outcomes.
• Knowledge – its creation, its dissemination, and its validation – is an essential
component to addressing contemporary challenges.
•
Future-making needs to be a more interdisciplinary, more anticipatory, and more
democratic practice.
The mission of SFIS is to develop and extend these ideas. We will bring these ideas and the
content, skills and dispositions that surround them to new audiences, through new modes of
instruction, and at a larger scale. In particular, the School will refine its instruction to address
the needs of particular audiences in particular careers and career stages. SFIS is launching with
a set of already-existing graduate degree programs, including the PhD in Human and Social
Dimensions of Science and Technology (HSD), the Master of Science and Technology Policy
(MSTP), the Master of Science in Global Technology and Development (GTD), and the Master
of Arts in Applied Ethics and the Professions (AEP). Within a few short years, we plan to
introduce an undergraduate program, major and minor, and several new graduate programs.
The Risk Innovation Lab provides a unique transdisciplinary environment where creativity,
collaboration, education, engagement and scholarship come together to transform how people
think and act on risk in society. It is connected with the new School for the Future of Innovation
in Society at ASU (http://sfis.asu.edu), and the Center for Science, Policy and Outcomes
(http://cspo.asu.edu)
Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/
Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard
to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any
other basis protected by law. https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html
https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/
The Michigan State University Center for Research on Ingredient Safety (CRIS) is an academic,
science-based center, established to serve as an independent and unbiased source for
research, training and analysis for the public on the safe use of chemical ingredients in
consumer packaged goods including foods, beverages, cosmetics and household consumer
products. The Center is a partnership between Michigan State University, the Grocery
Manufacturers Association, and food, beverage and consumer products industries.
Questions regarding the position can be emailed to Diana.Bowman@asu.edu