JOB DESCRIPTION: Full-Time Pre-Doctoral Research Fellow with UC Berkeley Prof. Joseph S. Shapiro

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.

Responsibilities

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.

Qualifications

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.

A BA/BS in Economics, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer/Data Science or other related disciplines is required; previous experience as a research analyst or pursing independent research is preferred; 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. The position is located in Berkeley, CA.

In your application, please emphasize any familiarity with programming languages; prior experience as a research assistant or with independent research projects (e.g., a thesis); experience working in a team environment; the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of 2-3 references; and when you are available to start work. Please also include a transcript. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

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.

The NBER is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability. The NBER will make reasonable accommodation for any disabled applicant, and will provide assistance to disabled applicants as needed during the application process.

National Bureau of Economic Research

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