New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) is hiring Post-Doctoral Associates for its Center for Behavioral Institutional Design (C-BID). The posts are full time and fixed term for two years, renewable for at least one more year if your performance review is good. You would do your own research and work with the C-BID team led by Olivier Bochet, Nikos Nikiforakis and John Wooders on human behaviour, models of behaviour built on evidence, and the design of institutions and policies that improve social welfare. The NYU Abu Dhabi C-BID postdoc job closes on 25 November 2026, but applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so early applicants have an advantage.
You need a PhD in economics or a related field, awarded within the last five years. NYUAD does not publish a salary figure but says pay is above internationally competitive postdoc rates, with housing, transport and travel allowances, health insurance and no UAE income tax. Below I set out the role, who can apply, the six documents you need, how to choose your job market paper and write the research statement, and how this compares with other postdocs open now.
NYU Abu Dhabi C-BID postdoc: key facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Employer | New York University Abu Dhabi |
| Centre | Center for Behavioral Institutional Design (C-BID) |
| Team | Olivier Bochet, Nikos Nikiforakis and John Wooders |
| Location | Abu Dhabi, UAE (the post is not in the United States) |
| Contract | Fixed term, full time, two years, renewable for at least one more year |
| Start date | Not stated in the advert |
| Eligibility | PhD in economics or a related field, within five years of the award |
| Salary | No figure. NYUAD says it is higher than internationally competitive postdoc rates |
| Benefits | Housing, transport and travel allowances, children’s education subsidies, health insurance, retirement contributions, relocation allowance |
| Tax | No UAE income tax |
| Documents | Cover letter, job market paper, CV, research statement, transcript, at least three reference letters (all PDF) |
| How to apply | “Apply on website” on THE Unijobs (job 416945), or email Nikos Nikiforakis or John Wooders |
| Closing date | 25 November 2026, with rolling review |
Rolling review
NYUAD reviews applications as they arrive and fills posts until they are filled. A strong file sent in early November will be read before the deadline crowd. If your reference letters are not ready, ask your referees now.
About C-BID and the research
C-BID studies three linked questions: where differences in human behaviour come from, how to build models of behaviour that rest on evidence, and how to design institutions and policies that promote social welfare. The advert welcomes experimental, empirical and theoretical methods, and says a combination is ideal.
As a postdoc you would:
- Run your own research: keep developing your job market agenda and new projects.
2. Collaborate with the C-BID team: work closely with the three faculty leads and other researchers.
3. Publish: aim for leading peer-reviewed social science or interdisciplinary journals.
4. Join the centre’s life: take part in seminars, workshops, conferences and joint events.
The advert does not mention teaching duties, which makes this a research-only post. That is a good fit if you want two or three years to publish before going on the academic job market again.
About New York University Abu Dhabi
NYUAD describes itself as the first liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East run abroad by a major American research university. It is part of NYU’s global network, and its students come from more than 120 countries. NYU is ranked among the top 30 universities in the world by Times Higher Education, according to the advert. NYUAD’s own site describes it as the top globally ranked university in the UAE, ranking as NYU, and lists 26 undergraduate majors and four Nobel laureates on its faculty.
Who can apply
- PhD: in economics or a related field. If you are about to defend, say when in your cover letter. The advert does not say whether a PhD must be finished by the application date or the start date.
- Five-year window: you must be within the first five years after receiving your PhD.
- Methods: expertise in experimental, empirical or theoretical methods, ideally a combination.
- English: excellent written and spoken English.
- Teamwork and creativity: the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams, show scientific creativity, and work both alone and with others.
The advert does not restrict nationality, and NYUAD says it is an equal opportunity employer. It also encourages Emirati candidates to apply.
Salary and benefits
NYUAD does not publish a number for this post. It says the salary is higher than internationally competitive postdoc rates. Benefits named in the advert:
| Benefit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Housing | Generous housing allowance |
| Transport and travel | Allowances for both |
| Family | Educational subsidies for children and support for dual-career families |
| Health | Full health insurance plus health and wellness services |
| Retirement | Contributions |
| Relocation | A relocation allowance |
| Tax | The UAE levies no income tax |
NYUAD publishes a compensation and benefits document on its website. Read it before you negotiate, and ask for the salary figure once you reach interview.
Visa sponsorship
The advert does not mention visas directly. It does say applicants must be willing to relocate to Abu Dhabi and offers a relocation allowance. UAE employers sponsor the residence visa for staff they hire from abroad. Confirm with NYUAD’s HR team what is covered for you and any dependants.
How to apply for the NYUAD C-BID postdoc
- Prepare six PDFs: a cover letter; your job market paper; your CV; a research statement covering past and current research; your transcript; and at least three reference letters.
2. Arrange reference letters: the advert lists letters, not names, so ask your referees how they will submit them through the portal or by email.
3. Choose a route: click “Apply on website” on the THE Unijobs listing (job 416945), or email your file to Nikos Nikiforakis (nn30@nyu.edu) or John Wooders (john.wooders@nyu.edu).
4. Use one route only: sending the same file twice through different channels causes confusion. The portal is the cleaner choice; email is useful for a question first.
5. Apply early: rolling review means the earlier, the better. The final deadline is 25 November 2026.
How to choose your job market paper and write the research statement
The job market paper carries most of the weight. Send the paper that best shows behavioural or institutional design thinking, even if another paper is technically stronger. C-BID wants people whose work speaks to its questions.
For the research statement (two to three pages is normal):
- Core question: one paragraph on the question that links your work.
2. Job market paper: the question, method, result and why it matters for institutions or policy.
3. Other projects: one paragraph each on two or three other papers or works in progress.
4. Plan at C-BID: two projects you would start in Abu Dhabi, and which faculty member’s work they connect with.
5. Methods: if you combine experiments with theory or field data, say so. The advert prizes that mix.
A sample opening for the cover letter, for illustration only: “I am applying for the Post-Doctoral Associate position at C-BID; my job market paper uses a laboratory experiment to test how matching rules change cooperation in groups, which connects directly to the centre’s work on institutional design.”
What happens after you apply
NYUAD does not publish its timetable. Postdoc searches in economics usually involve a review of files by the faculty leads, a video interview, and sometimes a research presentation online. With rolling review, offers can come before the closing date. If you hold another offer with a deadline, tell the team politely; it can speed things up.
Common mistakes
- Outside the five-year window: if your PhD is older than five years, this post is not for you.
- Forgetting the transcript: the instructions list it even though the qualifications section does not.
- Late reference letters: an incomplete file sits at the bottom of a rolling pile.
- A generic research statement: name C-BID’s themes and the faculty you would work with.
- Waiting for the deadline: posts may be filled before 25 November 2026.
Who should apply and who shouldn’t
You should apply if you finished an economics PhD within the last five years (or are about to), work on behavioural, experimental or theoretical questions about institutions, incentives or policy, and want two or three years of research time with strong mentors. Economists from Africa and Asia trained in experimental methods are a good fit, and the location is easier to reach from those regions than the US or Europe.
You probably shouldn’t apply if your PhD is older than five years, your field has no link to behaviour or institutions, or you want a teaching-focused job. If you are still choosing a PhD, see our guides to UAE scholarships and American scholarships for international students.
How this postdoc compares with similar posts
| Role | Institution | Salary as advertised | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-Doctoral Associate, Public Health Research Center | NYU Abu Dhabi | Not stated | 12 November 2026 |
| Post-Doctoral Associate, Center of Cyber Security | NYU Abu Dhabi | Not stated | 18 November 2026 |
| Postdoc Researcher, AI for Precision Medicine | MBZUAI, Abu Dhabi | Competitive | 5 November 2026 |
| Postdoctoral Researcher, Computational Genomics | University of Helsinki, Finland | EUR 3,800 to 4,000 a month | 19 November 2026 |
The C-BID post is the only economics postdoc of the four. If you are an economist aiming for a senior post later, NYUAD also advertises tenured economics professorships.
Living in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is the UAE capital and a safe, well-connected city with a hot climate for much of the year. Housing is the largest cost, which NYUAD’s housing allowance is designed to cover. Without income tax, a postdoc salary goes further than the same figure in Europe. Groceries, schooling and car costs can still be high, so check the benefits document closely if you are bringing a family.
FAQs about the NYU Abu Dhabi C-BID postdoc
What is the salary for an NYU Abu Dhabi postdoc?
NYUAD does not publish a figure. It says pay is above internationally competitive postdoc rates, with housing and other allowances, and there is no UAE income tax.
When is the deadline for the C-BID postdoc?
25 November 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early.
Can I apply if my PhD is not finished yet?
The advert asks for a PhD in economics or a related field. If you are close to finishing, state your defence date in your cover letter and confirm with the team by email.
How long is the NYUAD postdoc contract?
Two years, renewable for at least one more year after a satisfactory performance review.
Sources and updates
I checked this post on 29 October 2026 against the Times Higher Education Unijobs listing and NYU Abu Dhabi’s home page. NYUAD has not published a salary figure or start date for this post. The details of its benefits are in the compensation and benefits document linked from the advert. I will update this page if the deadline changes or the posts are filled.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
