Postdoctoral position in Education – Scientific Evidence of Social Impact in Education Policy and Practice

Organisation/Company Universitat de Barcelona Department OPIR Research Field Educational sciences Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Application Deadline 23 Oct 2026
- 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37,5 Offer Starting Date 2 Nov 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe Reference Number 101288796 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No Offer Description A postdoctoral position is now open for a researcher holding a PhD in Education to join the research project ACHIEVE4EDU (Advancing the Use of Scientific Evidence of Social Impact in Education Policy and Practice to Improve Student Achievement), funded under the European Union's Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement No. 101288796, HORIZON-CL2-2025-01-TRANSFO-06), coordinated by the University of Barcelona (UB) in partnership with a consortium of eleven institutions across ten European countries. The project runs for 36 months (September 2026 – August 2029). About the project ACHIEVE4EDU aims to strengthen the effective use of Scientific Evidence of Social Impact (SESI) in education policy and practice, with a focus on improving student achievement in reading, mathematics, and science during the transition from primary to secondary education. SESI reorients the traditional evidence-based education toward evidence that has demonstrably improved student outcomes, has been replicated across diverse contexts, and is scientifically validated. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and participatory approaches, the project will: identify and validate SESI through a systematic literature review and analysis of administrative and survey data; analyse successful cases of SESI adoption in education policy and practice; co-create dialogic training processes with policymakers and practitioners; develop an open-access digital platform hosting SESI-based resources and training materials; and disseminate SESI to support its broader uptake and policy transfer across Europe. Responsibilities, functions and tasks
* Contributing to the systematic review of peer-reviewed literature and meta-analyses to identify studies meeting SESI criteria (proven impact, replication, scientific validation), following PRISMA guidelines.
* Supporting the design and implementation of qualitative case studies analysing successful SESI adoption processes in education policy and practice.
* Contributing to the co-creation of the SESI Recognition and Use Framework and to dialogic training processes with policymakers and practitioners.
* Collaborating in the collection, management, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data (including administrative and survey data on student achievement), using communicative and mixed-methods approaches.
* Contributing to the production of scientific outputs, including peer-reviewed articles, policy briefs, and conference presentations.
* Supporting stakeholder engagement activities, including participation in the project's Advisory Committee, working groups, dissemination events, and training sessions.
* Assisting with the day-to-day scientific and administrative coordination of the project, including liaison with consortium partners and support for reporting and deliverables led by the UB team.
* Contributing to content development and quality assurance for the project's open-access digital platform hosting SESI resources and training materials. Gross salary per year: €37.779,36 The application period is from 9 to 23 October 2026.
* PhD in Education, Curriculum and Instruction,
* Demonstrated research experience in dialogic education, Successful Educational Actions (SEAs), and/or Scientific Evidence of Social Impact (SESI) approaches.
* Experience applying the communicative methodology (communicative data collection techniques such as focus groups, daily life stories, and dialogic workshops; egalitarian dialogue between researchers and stakeholders).
* Experience conducting systematic literature reviews (e.g., following PRISMA guidelines) and/or qualitative case study research in education.
* Strong skills in quantitative and qualitative data analysis, with experience in mixed-methods research designs.
* Experience participating in European Framework Programme research projects (e.g., Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020).
* Track record of publications in peer-reviewed international journals in education and related social sciences.
* Excellent academic writing and oral communication skills in English.
* Ability to work collaboratively within an international, multidisciplinary consortium and to travel occasionally for project meetings Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent Research Field Educational sciences Years of Research Experience 4
- 10 Additional Information Eligibility criteria
* Adequacy of the CV (maximum 50)
* Specialty doctorate (30), generic doctorate (10)
* Letter of mo