Opportunity
Insights (OI) at Harvard
University is hiring several full-time predoctoral fellows to start in Summer
2024 to work with our research group and under the direction of Raj Chetty, John Friedman, and Nathan Hendren. OI
is a nonpartisan research and policy institute focused on
improving economic opportunity.
Founded in 2018, OI has become a nationally and internationally recognized leader in the science of economic mobility and in the use of large administrative data to understand and address inequality. OI has published seminal work on national trends in upward mobility; racial disparities; the role of neighborhoods, social capital, and higher education in upward mobility; and the use of private-sector data to understand disparate impacts in the recent economic recession and recovery. Much of the team’s ongoing research uses quasi-experimental methods to identify causal effects and test the predictions of economic and sociological models. Examples of current research projects include: long-term impacts of neighborhoods and place-based policies, the role of colleges in upward mobility, using big data to address health disparities, and measuring how social networks affect mobility. OI’s work has shaped policy discussions at the national and local level, with nearly a dozen of its studies covered on the front pages of major media outlets, such as the New York Times, The Economist, The Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, and have been widely cited in policy discussions.
Fellows will be based at Harvard or Brown Universities under the direction of Professors Chetty, Friedman, and Hendren. The fellowship will include a variety of tasks that provide preparation for graduate school, such as analyzing data, developing statistical models, creating presentations, and editing research papers. In addition to working with OI faculty, predoctoral fellows frequently co-author papers with other students or faculty members. Fellows will interact regularly with professors and their collaborators – such as Stefanie DeLuca, David Deming, Matthew Jackson, Larry Katz, Theresa Kuchler, Michael Stepner, and Johannes Stroebel – in a team-oriented lab environment, with regular lab meetings, seminars, and other events. Fellows also have the opportunity to support our research translation and policy work through such resources as the Opportunity Atlas, the Social Capital Atlas, and the Economic Tracker.
Fellows are invited to participate in broader activities at Harvard and Brown, including seminars and courses. The program serves as an ideal bridge between college and graduate school for students interested in empirical economics. Most previous fellows have gone on to top Ph.D. programs. Salary and benefits are competitive with other top predoctoral fellowships.
As an organization focused on economic mobility, we value the many backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences in our community. We welcome applications from persons from underrepresented groups. Even if applicants are uncertain whether their technical research skill or subject-matter knowledge will be competitive, we strongly encourage applications. Applicants should have completed a bachelor’s degree (or be on track to complete by July 2024) or master’s degree, have strong quantitative skills, and experience with empirical research methods. Candidates with research experience are strongly preferred, especially those with programming experience in Stata, SAS, R, and/or Python. Candidates need not be Economics majors, though they should have a strong interest in and some experience with Economics. Successful candidates have come from a variety of backgrounds (including from undergraduate and graduate programs, industry jobs, and other research assistant positions), and have a range of skill levels and experience with coding.
Fellowships will begin around July 1, 2024. Fellows typically work at OI full-time for two years before starting graduate school in Economics or another social science or pursuing other related career paths.
Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Harvard University views equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging
as the pathway to achieving inclusive excellence and fostering a campus culture
where everyone can thrive. We strive to create a community that draws upon the widest
possible pool of talent to unify excellence and diversity while fully embracing
individuals from varied backgrounds, cultures, races, identities, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and values.
How to Apply
To apply, please complete
the following two steps:
2. Fill out and upload your resume, transcripts, and a writing
sample through the OI online form.
Applications are due on Friday, October 6, 2023 at 11:59pm ET. Our selection process includes a coding exercise, a first-round interview, and a final round interview. We expect to share decisions from the Fall 2023 hiring round by mid-November. Questions about the application process can be sent to hiring@opportunityinsights.org.
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.
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