Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Child and Family Development

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Child and Family Development

Location: Detroit, MI, US · Posted: 10/14/2026 · Closes: 2/28/2027 · Reference: 3693

The Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute (MPSI) for Child and Family Development at Wayne State University (WSU) is excited to welcome a new colleague to our collaborative and interdisciplinary research community. We invite applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position beginning August 2027. The successful candidate will hold a joint appointment between MPSI and an academic department aligned with the candidate’s disciplinary background. We welcome applications from scientists whose work addresses the development, health, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, or families. Applicants’ research programs should align with the urban mission and values of WSU and MPSI and contribute to research, training, and community engagement that advance knowledge and solutions benefiting children, families, and communities. Areas of particular interest include research on the processes and contexts that shape the development and health of children and families from infancy through young adulthood; risk, resilience, prevention, and intervention; and translational research that can drive innovations that promote health and well-being, including emerging technologies and new models of healthcare. We are also interested in work that examines influences across multiple levels of context, from individuals and families to communities and populations; however, we are open to work that addresses other important questions in developmental science and family health. Essential Functions : Successful candidates will have a strong, independent program of research, evidence of or clear potential for external funding, and demonstrated quantitative expertise in developmental research methods. Responsibilities at MPSI include research, professional service, training and mentorship, and community engagement, along with teaching responsibilities in the academic department in which the candidate holds a joint appointment. About Wayne State: Wayne State University is a premier, public, urban research university located in Detroit, Michigan with a bold Strategic Plan . The 200-acre traditional and high-tech campus is in the heart of Midtown, offering unparalleled access to cultural experiences, community involvement, and corporate career opportunities. Wayne State University is the third largest institution of higher learning in Michigan and the most diverse campus in the state with over 24,000 students from every U.S. state and nearly 80 countries. Wayne State is home to 13 colleges offering 375 degree programs, as well as seven interdisciplinary research centers and institutes. wayne.ed  About Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development: The Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute (MPSI) is a vibrant interdisciplinary research institute within Wayne State University’s Division of Research and Innovation (DORI; research.wayne.edu ). With support from research cores and facilities across campus, current research at MPSI examines how developmental processes, during gestation through young adulthood, shape trajectories of mental and physical health, learning, and well-being within individuals, families, communities, and society. Through community-engaged work, we strive to translate developmental science into innovative programs, policy advancements that prioritize children and families, and workforce training models that help children, families, and communities thrive . Along with other research institutes and centers within DORI, we address pressing societal issues through innovation and research excellence. The Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute (MPSI), founded in 1920, has been at the forefront of developmental science that translates research excellence into practice and policies that strengthen child and family well-being. With a distinguished history of impactful scholarship and practice in child and family development, including opening one of the nation’s first laboratory nursery schools and pioneering early studies on nutrition and high-quality education models, MPSI has worked to advance the development, health, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, young adults, and their families. Today, the Institute brings together 11 core and 12 affiliate faculty, 16 predoctoral trainees, external funding from federal, state, and philanthropic sources, and programs that reach thousands of professionals and community members each year. Building on more than a decade of significant growth and accomplishment, MPSI is seeking its next f.aculty member to contribute to the Institute’s continued research excellence and community impact. To learn more about MPSI, please visit our website at https://mpsi.wayne.edu , the 2023-2027 strategic plan at: https://mpsi.wayne.edu/strategic-plan , and our most recent Biennial Report at: https://mpsi.wayne.edu/about/2023-2024-mpsi-report.pdf .