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Title Pre-Doctoral Research Fellow

School Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Department/Area Institute for Quantitative Social Science

Position Description

The Institute for Quantitative Social Science ( IQSS ) is a university-wide institute whose mission is to solve society’s greatest challenges through the creation, preservation, and dissemination of social science knowledge. The IQSS Pre-Doctoral Research Fellow provides cross-functional support on a wide array of IQSS research projects as directed by various faculty/program leads, including IQSS Faculty Director, Professor Gary King. Based at IQSS , the position will work closely with relevant programmatic and technical leaders on a variety of research and technical projects and leverage IQSS research and computing and data science resources. Duties/current projects include:

+ Using analyses and measures to inform the design of research questions for grant competitions.

+ Contributing to scholarly publications and research projects, performing data analysis when necessary.

+ Interacting with external teams on identifying applicable data, assessing risk and creating common policies and process specific to data access and analysis.

+ Supporting the logistics of the new program/product launches and software/technology development as needed.

Ideally, this position is designed for pre-doctoral candidates to expand their research resume before pursuing doctoral studies, though the skills and experience gained in this position regarding researching, writing, interviewing, analysis, technology development and project management can create a springboard to a wide range of options afterwards. In addition, while this position is not affiliated with any doctoral program, it enables the successful candidate to work closely with faculty members who are generous teachers and mentors, to help them with their research challenges – from the collection and analysis of data and related technical projects to sourcing and support for academic publications.

Applicants should provide a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, and, if available, a research sample, such as a report or article that demonstrates the applicant’s research skills. Duration is for one year, with a target start date in September 2025. Compensation is $70,000 per year. This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position.

IQSS sits in the Division of Social Science. At IQSS , respect and fairness, kindness and collegiality, and trust and transparency are among the values we espouse and promote in our workplace culture. We work hard to ensure a healthy, inclusive, and positive environment where everyone does their best work in support of Harvard’s mission.

Additional Information:

+ This is a one-year appointment from the date of hire, with the possibility of extension based on research need, funding, and performance.

+ Due to the importance of in-person mentoring with their Faculty Sponsor and having the opportunity to interact with colleagues and researchers within their department, it is expected that the Pre-Doctoral Research Fellow will work on campus.

Basic Qualifications

+ Bachelor’s degree in the quantitative sciences such as: Computer Science, Economics, Statistics, Mathematics, Physics, Political Science (or other Quantitative Social Sciences) or equivalent.

+ Minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience (a combination of work experience and education may be considered to fulfill this requirement).

Additional Qualifications

+ Familiarity (hands-on knowledge) with data manipulation tools and languages such as R, STATA , SQL , Python, or MATLAB strongly preferred.

+ Familiarity with a variety of research methodologies such as lab experience, causal inference, or experimental design ideal.

+ Hands-on experience conducting data collection, cleaning, and analysis and research coordination preferred.

+ Knowledge and understanding of statistical modeling, econometrics, software development, and/or machine learning.

+ Familiarity with modern web development practices (JavaScript, HTML / CSS , APIs, Git, NoSQL) preferred.

+ Ability to handle multiple projects and competing demands and to navigate emerging and shifting requirements.

+ Results-orientation with demonstrated curiosity, love of learning, flexibility, comfort with ambiguity, and a bias for action.

+ Strong team player with excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Special Instructions

Applicants should provide a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, and, if available, a research sample, such as a report or article that demonstrates the applicant’s research skills.

Contact Information

Michael J. O’Brien

1737 Cambridge St., K350

Cambridge, MA 02138

Contact Email [email protected]

Equal Opportunity Employer

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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