Postdoc Opportunity (updated on 10/22/2025)

Currently, I have funding to support one postdoctoral researcher to join my team on quantitative research method development and/or the causal evaluation of educational programs.

Methodological focus (preferred expertise in one or more):

• Designing and analyzing longitudinal studies

• Multilevel modeling (MLM), difference-in-differences (DID), or comparative interrupted time series (CITS)

• Monte Carlo simulation and/or statistical software/package development (e.g., R, Stata)

Candidates with related expertise—such as econometrics, causal inference, experimental and quasi-experimental design and analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and methods for missing data—are also encouraged to apply.

Empirical evaluation focus (ideal profile):
The ideal candidate will have experience cleaning and managing large datasets and be familiar with one or more of the following: MLM, panel data analysis, DID, regression discontinuity design (RDD), propensity score matching/weighting, or other causal inference techniques. Experience with simulation studies or causal machine learning (e.g., DDML, causal forests, Generic ML) is a plus.

Logistics & qualifications:

• Start date: Flexible, preferably Spring 2026

• Location: Remote or in person

• Minimum qualifications: Doctoral degree (or all requirements completed) in education, economics (e.g., labor, applied micro, econometrics), public policy, quantitative research methods, statistics, or a closely related field

How to apply (complete submissions only):
Please email the following to wei.li@coe.ufl.edu:

1. A brief statement (≤300 words) describing your relate experience

2. A current CV

3. Contact information for two or three references (references will be contacted only if you advance)

4. One or two writing samples that use causal inference methods (methodological or empirical)

Application review will begin immediately. Qualified applicants will be invited to a Zoom interview within two weeks of receipt.

Feel free to share or recommend this opportunity!

Ph.D Students (updated on 7/29/2025)

I am currently accepting doctoral students in the Research and Evaluation Methodology (REM) program. Funding opportunities are available through either a four-year fellowship offered by our program or multi-year research assistantships supported by externally funded projects. The REM program has a strong track record of providing financial support: in recent years, all admitted students have received funding through fellowships or research assistantships. Please check this webpage for REM Admission and Application Instructions. 

The ideal candidate should have a foundational understanding of introductory calculus, linear algebra, and regression analysis, and be interested in working with me in one of the following areas: experimental design, longitudinal analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, or any other topics related to causal inference in education and policy analysis, such as applied econometrics and causal machine learning. 

Please note that while I am collaborating with my colleagues on several policy and program evaluation projects and welcome doctoral students interested in applied research, REM students must complete a dissertation focused on research methodology to earn their doctoral degree. 

If you are interested in other areas, such as psychometrics, Item Response Theory (IRT), or Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), I encourage you to explore the expertise of other REM faculty members at https://education.ufl.edu/research-evaluation-methods/areas-of-research/.

According to Florida policy, the University of Florida is currently unable to provide financial support to students residing in mainland China.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at wei.li@coe.ufl.edu. Please include a copy of your CV, detailing your training in statistics and quantitative research methods (e.g., coursework). I look forward to hearing from you!

OPS Position (updated on 7/2/2025)

I have hourly-paid OPS positions available for Summer&Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 (see details here: https://policy.ufl.edu/policy/non-student-hourly-ops-employment/). Anyone, including undergraduate, master's, doctoral students, or recent doctoral graduates, who is interested in joining my team to work on methods, tools, and applications of experimental and quasi-experimental longitudinal studies in education is encouraged to reach out.

This role would be particularly suitable for someone familiar with multilevel modeling, longitudianl data analysis, matching/weighting, panel data models, and/or recent developments in staggered DID estimators. Experience with simulation studies, R/Stata package development, learning analytics, or causal machine learning (e.g., DDML,  causal forest, Generic ML) is a plus. 

Please note this position does not require knowledge of latent growth modeling or structural equation modeling (SEM) and will not employ these methods. Applicants whose expertise is primarily in latent growth modeling, SEM, or psychometric may not be suitable for this position.

If you are interested, please send the following to : wei.li@coe.ufl.edu: 

1. A short description (no more than 300 words) detailing your relevant experience in causal inference methods (e.g., MRCT, IV, difference-in-differences, matching/weighting)

2. A current CV

3. (Optional) One or two example of scholarly writing that utilize causal inference methods for methodological or empirical research 

Application review will begin immediately, and qualified applicants will be invited for a Zoom interview within two week of receiving your email.  Feel free to share or recommend this opportunity!

REM Minor Mentor (Quantitative Focus): Updated Requirements 

If you are considering a REM (Research and Evaluation Methodology) minor with a quantitative focus, I’d be happy to serve as your faculty mentor—pending fit and availability. My research focuses on the development and application of statistical methods and tools for the design and analysis of education studies, particularly in areas such as causal inference, power analysis, and evaluation of longitudinal or quasi-experimental designs.

To fulfill the REM minor requirement of research collaboration with a faculty member, there are generally three options for working with me:

1. Join an ongoing project: You are welcome to join one of my current research projects, either applied or methodolical. This may involve collaborative work leading to a conference paper or journal manuscript.

2. Lead your own aligned project: I am open to collaborating on a student-led research project if it closely aligns with my methodological interests and I have the time and capacity to make a meaningful contribution.

3. Methodology-focused literature review: Another option is to complete a literature review on methodological topics relevant to your dissertation. This could potentially serve as a chapter (or part of a chapter) in your dissertation and meet the research collaboration requirement.

Please note that while I serve on doctoral committees for REM minors, I typically do not contribute quantitative methods questions to qualifying exams for students outside of the REM program.

If you’re interested in pursuing a REM minor and working together, feel free to reach out so we can discuss whether our interests align and what form of collaboration would be most appropriate.

New Postdoc Oppurtunity (filled) (updated on 7/2/2025)

Update: Thank you all very much for your interest! This postdoctoral position has now been filled. 

I’m currently recruiting a postdoctoral researcher to join a project focused on causal inference using large-scale education data. The ideal candidate should have experience in cleaning and managing large datasets and be familiar with one or more of the following methods: multilevel modeling, panel data analysis, Difference-in-Differences (DID), Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD), propensity score matching or weighting, or other causal inference techniques. Experience with simulation studies or causal machine learning (e.g., DDML,  causal forest, Generic ML) is a plus.

The anticipated start date is Summer or Fall 2025. A qualified candidate must hold a doctoral degree or have completed all of the requirements for a doctorate in education, economics (e.g., labor, applied microeconomics or econometrics), public policy, quantitative research methods, statistics, or a closely related field.  

This is a 12-month position funded through an internal grant by UF Lastinger Center for Learning on the design and analysis of longitudinal quasi-experimental studies in education. The position is appointed for one year with the potential for renewal for a second year, subject to available funding from other projects (e.g., NSF CAREER) and satisfactory performance in the position.

If you are interested, please send the following to : wei.li@coe.ufl.edu: (Please note that only complete submissions can be considered for review)

4. A short description (no more than 300 words) detailing your relevant experience in data cleaning and management, as well as empirical analysis using causal inference methods (e.g., difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity designs, matching/weighting)

5. A current CV

6. Contact information for two or three references (references will not be contacted until the applicant advances to a later stage of the selection process)

7. One or two example of scholarly writing that utilize causal inference methods for methodological or empirical research 

Application review will begin immediately, and qualified applicants will be invited for a Zoom interview within two week of receiving your email. 

Feel free to share or recommend this opportunity!

Postdocs & Research Assistant (filled)

I am looking for one Postdoctoral Scholar and/or a research assistant to work with me on developing methods and tools for statistical power analyses and optimal sample size computations for longitudinal studies, conducting Monte Carlo simulations, cleaning and analyzing longitudinal data, presenting findings at academic conferences, and drafting academic papers.

The ideal candidates should have expertise in designing and analyzing longitudinal studies using multilevel modeling (MLM), difference in differences (DID), or comparative interrupted time series (CITS) design, as well as experience with statistical software like Stata or R for simulations and package development. However, candidates with expertise in other areas, such as econometrics, causal inference, experimental and quasi-experimental design and analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and missing data are also encouraged to apply.

Please note that this position is exclusively dedicated to methodological research intended for publication in statistics and quantitative research methods journals. Candidates whose expertise or interests are focused primarily on the application of longitudinal data analysis methods (e.g., multilevel modeling, DID) in education, policy, or program evaluation may not align with the requirements of this role. Additionally, this project does not require knowledge of latent growth modeling or structural equation modeling (SEM) and will not employ these methods. Applicants whose expertise is primarily in latent growth modeling or SEM may not be suitable for this position.

Instructions to Applicants:

To apply for the postdoc position, please visit https://jobs.ufl.edu and reference requisition #533741. The positions will remain open until filled or until two qualified candidates are selected. For inquiries or nominations, please email the Search Committee Chair, Dr. Wei Li, at wei.li@coe.ufl.edu.

To apply for the research assistant position, please send an email to me with your CV.