Postdoc
On-Site
Prof. Paolo Piacquadio
The Institute of Economic Research and Policy (ERP-HSG) at the University of St.Gallen is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to work on the SNF-funded project “Ethical Views and Social Welfare: Theory and Evidence.” The project is led by Prof. Dr. Paolo Piacquadio (University of St.Gallen) in collaboration with Dr. Brian Jabarian (University of Chicago, external co-PI). The start date is flexible but ideally no later than September 2025.
Project Overview:
This interdisciplinary project examines how individuals' ethical views shape social welfare judgments and redistribution policies. The project combines a behavioral component-building on experiments and surveys-with a theoretical component that employs axiomatic methods to formalize ethical and welfare constructs rigorously. Specifically, the project aims to:
- Identify and comprehensively catalog the diverse and multifaceted range of individuals' ethical views and core values.
- Understand and rigorously analyze the underlying patterns and origins of various ethical perspectives and belief systems.
- Develop innovative axiomatic frameworks to aggregate diverse ethical stances into coherent, actionable measures of social welfare.
- Investigate how ethical heterogeneity influences the design, implementation, and effectiveness of redistribution policies across economic contexts.
- Integrate generative AI into experiments to simulate realistic taxation scenarios and assess informed versus mistaken support.
As a postdoctoral researcher on this project, you will:
- Develop your independent research and advance your academic career in economics.
- Contribute actively to the project's research activities, including designing, coding, and analyzing experiments and surveys.
- Take a leadership role in organizing workshops, preparing grant proposals, and collaborating on publications.
- Supervise and mentor graduate students and, to a limited extent, support teaching initiatives.
- Engage with both components of the project: the behavioral experiments (led by Dr. Brian Jabarian) and the theoretical analysis utilizing axiomatic methods (led by Prof. Dr. Paolo Piacquadio).
Your profile:
- A Ph.D. (completed or near completion) in Economics, with a strong background in behavioral economics, public economics, and/or welfare economics.
- Demonstrated enthusiasm and ambition for conducting high-quality research.
- Hands-on experience with designing and running experiments (lab, online, or field), including coding skills in Qualtrics, JavaScript, oTree, or similar platforms.
- Familiarity with or openness to axiomatic methods in theoretical analysis is highly desirable.
- Ability to work independently, think creatively and contribute collaboratively in a dynamic team environment.
- Prior publication experience in peer-reviewed economic journals is a plus.
Application Procedure:
Please submit the following documents online: Cover Letter: Briefly describe your research interests, motivation for joining the project, and how your background fits the position; Curriculum Vitae (CV): Detailing your education, research experience, coding skills, and any publications or working papers: Job Market Paper (and any additional research papers, if available); Reference Letters: Please arrange for two letters of recommendation to be sent directly to both: Prof. Dr. Paolo Piacquadio at paolo.piacquadio@unisg.ch and Dr. Brian Jabarian at brian.jabarian@chicagobooth.edu
Application Deadline: Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please contact Prof. Piacquadio for additional information: paolo.piacquadio@unisg.ch
Rosenbergstrasse 22
9000 Sankt Gallen , Suiza
