Postdoctoral Position in the Psychology of Inequality (ERC Project PERPETUATE)

Introduction

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

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Presentation

The Institute of Social Sciences (ISS) at the University of Lausanne invites applications for a Postdoctoral Position in the Psychology of Inequality. The successful candidate will join the ERC-funded project led by Prof. Nicolas Sommet, “The Vicious Cycle of Inequality: How Economic Inequality Perpetuates Itself by Creating a Culture of Competitiveness in Schools.” The project combines longitudinal, multilevel, and experimental data to examine whether economic inequality perpetuates itself by fostering a culture of competitiveness in schools. Specifically, it tests whether inequality increases the importance of status, leading parents and teachers to encourage competitiveness in ways that may widen socioeconomic achievement gaps. The successful candidate will work on the first part of the project and contribute to one or both components of the second part, depending on their profile and interests. Part 1 combines 60+ panel datasets from 40+ countries with annual indicators of inequality to examine the link between inequality in society and inequality in education. Part 2 surveys 5,000 teachers and 5,000 parents of secondary school students across five countries and includes embedded experimental manipulations to test whether inequality promotes parental and teacher practices that encourage competitiveness. 

Job information

Expected start date in position: September 1, 2026, or upon agreement
Contract length: 1 year, renewable twice, for a maximum total duration of 3 years
Activity rate: 100%, lower employment rates may be considered upon agreement
Workplace: University of Lausanne, Géopolis, Lausanne, Switzerland
Annual salary: CHF 85'819 (first year), with annual increases 

Your responsibilities

The successful candidate is expected to:
• Spend the first 12 months assembling and harmonizing the data, merging the harmonized data with inequality indicators, and developing reproducible workflows and documentation
• Spend the following 24 months conducting the parent study with a commercial panel provider and/or the teacher study in collaboration with European researchers
• Collaborate closely with a PhD student, student assistants, and international collaborators
• Develop first-authored and co-authored publications based on the project
• Present findings at international conferences
• Contribute to the intellectual life of the institute
• The position does not include teaching duties

See specifications here (in French)

Your qualifications

• PhD in psychology, sociology, economics, education, or a related discipline. Applicants near completion of their PhD may apply, provided that the degree is completed before the start date
• Proficiency in R and/or Stata
• Strong skills and experience in working with large-scale secondary datasets
• Strong skills in data management, including appending, merging, and harmonizing datasets
• Strong interest in, and experience with, multilevel and longitudinal analysis • Strong interest in, and experience with, research on social inequality and/or competitiveness
• Good research and publication record relative to career stage
• Collaborative attitude and interest in teamwork
• Commitment to open science and reproducible research practices
• Fluency in English, which is the working language; knowledge of French is not required

What the position offers you

The position offers the opportunity to contribute to an ambitious research project on social inequality based in Lausanne, a vibrant city on Lake Geneva, surrounded by the Alps. It is hosted in a dynamic and international research environment at the LIVES Centre , with opportunities for professional development, collaboration, further training, and participation in international conferences.

Contact for further information

For further information, please contact E-Mail schreiben.

Your application

Deadline: 25 May 2026
Interviews: within the two weeks following the application deadline
Submit applications through the official UNIL website. The application, in English, should include:
1. A motivation letter detailing how the candidate’s profile is a strong fit for the project, both methodologically and theoretically
2. A CV, including a list of publications
3. A copy of the PhD degree 
4. Two pieces of academic writing, preferably published or submitted journal articles, ideally first-authored. 
5. The names and contact details of two to three academic referees who may be contacted directly. Please do not submit reference letters.

Additional information

UNIL is committed to:
•    equality, diversity and inclusion within its community;
•    ensuring an open and respectful environment that is conducive to personal development;
•    offering working conditions that facilitate work-life balance;
•    supporting early career researchers.

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