Full Time Term Research Assistant

natl bueau of econ • Cambridge, MA

13d • Onsite

About The Position

I seek a highly skilled and driven individual to work as a full-time Research Fellow. Research may cover environment/energy, public finance, trade, and health, and will entail close collaboration with faculty co-authors at other top universities. Previous candidates have enrolled in Ph.D. programs at top economics departments and coauthored journal articles.

The start date will ideally be summer or fall of 2026, though there is flexibility. I will hire on renewable one-year contracts, with preference for applicants who can work for two years. NBER provides competitive salary and benefits.

Job responsibilities span all stages of research, including managing projects, collecting and analyzing data, creating presentations, interviewing government and private sector stakeholders, writing, and editing. Current topics include papers analyzing the economics of water quality policies, land use regulation, efficiency and equity properties of environmental policies, and dynamic natural resource management. Some projects involve the analysis of confidential data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

I emphasize mentoring and training, and support fellows taking classes and attending seminars. Economics predoctoral research assistants at UC Berkeley have an organized community with regular lunches including faculty from across campus to share institutional knowledge, graduate school workshops, and social events.

Candidates should have a long-term interest in pursuing research related to economics. This position is ideal for candidates looking to develop empirical research skills before applying to Ph.D. programs in economics or related fields. Prior background in environmental/energy economics is not necessary. I welcome candidates with strong technical backgrounds who are looking for more exposure to economics. Ability to work independently, attention to detail, a strong understanding of economic principles, and programming and data skills are highly valued. I especially encourage applications from groups under-represented in economics.

Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in economics, statistics, computer science, mathematics, political science, or a related field. This position is ideal for candidates looking to develop their research skills in preparation for applying to PhD programs in economics or related fields. Preference will be given to detail-oriented applicants with strong programming experience in Python, as well as Stata and/or R. Familiarity with large language models is beneficial but will otherwise be acquired on the job.

Requirements

• Candidates should have a long-term interest in pursuing research related to economics.
• Ability to work independently
• Attention to detail
• A strong understanding of economic principles
• Programming and data skills
• A BA/BS in Economics, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer/Data Science or other related disciplines is required
• Programming skills are necessary
• Ability to analyze data and write reports is required
• Access to confidential Census data requires applicants to be U.S. citizens or have resided in the U.S. for the last three years.
• Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in economics, statistics, computer science, mathematics, political science, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience as a research analyst or pursing independent research is preferred
• Preference will be given to detail-oriented applicants with strong programming experience in Python, as well as Stata and/or R.
• Familiarity with large language models is beneficial but will otherwise be acquired on the job.

Responsibilities

• managing projects
• collecting and analyzing data
• creating presentations
• interviewing government and private sector stakeholders
• writing
• editing

Benefits

• NBER provides competitive salary and benefits.
• I emphasize mentoring and training, and support fellows taking classes and attending seminars.
• Economics predoctoral research assistants at UC Berkeley have an organized community with regular lunches including faculty from across campus to share institutional knowledge, graduate school workshops, and social events.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level