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About FIRE:

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s mission is to defend and sustain the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought — the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRE educates Americans about the importance of these inalienable rights, promotes a culture of respect for these rights, and provides the means to preserve them.

Position Description:

FIRE is seeking a talented and detail-oriented Graduate Summer Research Associate to join our Research team for summer 2026. This full-time, 10-week paid position ($8000 stipend) is based at FIRE’s Philadelphia office and offers an unparalleled opportunity for graduate students interested in research on freedom of expression, academic freedom, and related issues.

The Summer Research Associate will work closely with FIRE’s Manager of Polling and Analytics, and will support ongoing research initiatives. Responsibilities may include drafting short-form research briefs, contributing to FIRE’s Newsdesk (https://https//www.thefire.org/newsdesk/) or Substack (https://expression.fire.org/) , conducting data analysis and cleaning, and collaborating on academic papers. The Summer Research Associate will also deliver a short seminar at the end of the summer experience.

The Summer Research Associate will have the opportunity to participate in seminars with FIRE staff and other experts on freedom of expression and related topics, as well as take part in other professional development opportunities.

Eligibility Requirements:

+ Current full-time graduate student with excellent academic credentials who has completed at least two years of graduate study leading to a doctorate degree.

+ Should be enrolled full-time in a graduate program during both the spring and fall of 2026. Some exceptions may be made for master’s students, or for advanced doctoral students graduating prior to September 2026.

+ Must be legally authorized to work in the United States, and must reside in the U.S. for the duration of the appointment.

Skills and Experience:

+ Strong commitment to FIRE’s mission and work.

+ Excellent writing and verbal communication skills.

+ Demonstrated interest and experience in the social sciences, survey research, data analysis, and research methodology.

+ Experience with quantitative and/or qualitative research methods.

+ Proficiency with statistical or general-purpose programming tools (e.g., SPSS, R, SAS, Stata).

The Graduate Summer Research Associate position is highly competitive. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Deadline: Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Work type : Temporary, full time

Stipend: $8000

Dates: 10 weeks, June thru August (Preferred start date: June 2)

Reports to: Manager of Polling and Analytics

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

FIRE is 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 or any other characteristic protected by law.

As part of FIRE's hiring process, all candidates receiving a conditional offer of employment will be required to undergo a background check as permitted by and in compliance with federal, state and local law.

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