AIER Internship (Fall 2027)

American Institute for Economic Research•Great Barrington, MA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

AIER’s Internships are unparalleled professional opportunities for undergraduates considering careers in economic research, academia, or the private sector. They provide college students and recent graduates the opportunity to work closely with staff on projects relating to their interests and AIER’s mission, including scholarly research, policy analysis, editorial writing, as well opportunities in other departments. Our interns have leveraged their experiences to launch careers at organizations like The World Bank, The Institute for Justice, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, and IBM and many other research institutes and companies across the world. A significant number of our former interns now teach and research at well-respected universities across the country. At the core of the AIER internship program is a self-developed research project, in which each intern develops their research interest into the foundation of an academic conference presentation and/or journal article, as well as how to communicate their results to the general public. While building out their project, interns are coached on how to develop research ideas, how to ask and justify interesting and important research questions, select an appropriate methodology, present their findings to scholars and peers, and receive critical feedback. At the end of their internship, each intern presents their final product to AIER staff and visiting scholars and is advised on how to develop their project further. They leave not only with a research product, but a new understanding what engaging in deep, careful, and detailed analysis of issues relevant to life and liberty of individuals – not just to academic discussion – entails. A robust reading-and-discussion curriculum is the basis of the AIER internship. Interns are presented with selections of leading academic writing on Public Choice analysis, the history of the Great Enrichment, US Debt and monetary policy, and the importance of property rights, among other topics. In a series of seminar-style discussions led by AIER researchers, they develop their understanding of the ideas and principles behind the texts, and build an intellectual toolkit to bring to bear on economic problems in their future professional and/or academic careers. Through a series of workshops, interns learn and practice the essentials of academic and popular writing, various research methods, fundamental and advanced techniques in econometrics, economic analysis through AIER economic indicators and Bloomberg terminal data, blockchain technology and cryptocurrency trading, and more. The workshops are led by experts from AIER and related organizations and are generally conducted face-to-face, so individualized feedback and mentoring can be prioritized.

Requirements

Undergraduate students or recent graduates
Interest in economic research, academia, or the private sector
Ability to develop research ideas and conduct analysis
Willingness to learn and engage in seminar-style discussions
Willingness to practice academic and popular writing
Willingness to learn research methods and econometrics
Willingness to learn economic analysis through AIER economic indicators and Bloomberg terminal data
Willingness to learn about blockchain technology and cryptocurrency trading

Nice To Haves

Considering careers in economic research, academia, or the private sector

Responsibilities

Develop a self-developed research project, forming the foundation of an academic conference presentation and/or journal article.
Communicate research results to the general public.
Develop research ideas, ask and justify research questions, select appropriate methodology, present findings, and receive critical feedback.
Present final research product to AIER staff and visiting scholars.
Participate in reading-and-discussion curriculum on topics such as Public Choice analysis, the history of the Great Enrichment, US Debt and monetary policy, and property rights.
Attend workshops on academic and popular writing, research methods, econometrics, economic analysis using AIER economic indicators and Bloomberg terminal data, and blockchain technology and cryptocurrency trading.