Please join the National Economic Association (NEA) on Friday, November 8th from 12:30 - 2:00pm EST for a webinar on racial equity research, hosted by J-PAL North America. Dr. Damon Jones from the University of Chicago and Dr. Dania Francis from the University of Massachusetts Boston are advisors on J-PAL North America’s racial equity work and will discuss how randomized evaluations are being used within the field of economics to advance racial equity.

Register here: https://mit.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctdOyqrzguHtU9o-gtusdEJSpMoHG5_AUp#/registration

• $3,000 stipend for participation in the program
• Tackling real-world problems faced by the Department of Homeland Security
• Learning new tools and methodologies, including data analytics, decision analysis, simulation, and operations research, with a focus on developing a stochastic simulation model
• Networking opportunities with students, faculty, and technology experts nationwide

• Deadline to apply: March 12, 2024
• Program Dates: June 3 – June 28, 2024
• Location: Virtual

• U.S. Citizenship
• At least 18 years old at the start of the program
• Full-time students currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in engineering, computer science, math, technology, or science with a solid mathematical foundation
• Completion of the first academic (freshman) year and continuing in fall 2024 as an undergraduate student (sophomore, junior, or senior)
• Minimum GPA of 3.25
• Access to a computer with a webcam and microphone

Please join the NEA on Friday, December 8, 2023 at noon EST as Dr. Warren Whatley discusses Slavery, Freedom, and Development.  Dr. Whatley is a professor emeritus of economics at the University of Michigan and an expert on the economic history of Africa and African Americans in the United States.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81378403665

The Becker Friedman Institute (BFI) PREP program has opened applications for full-time pre-doctoral research roles beginning Summer 2024. These roles, working closely with faculty supervisors and which normally last two years, serve as a bridge between college and graduate school for students interested in empirical economics, with program alumni consistently placing in top PhD programs. The program also offers unique research and professional training opportunities at the University of Chicago. Please share the positions open at both BFI and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago with students in your networks. Additionally, we will host an information session on October 9 at 8:30 a.m. central to answer questions about the application process, please register here to attend.

Interested students can also sign up here to receive updates directly as positions open.

Open positions at the Becker Friedman Institute (applications due October 15)

MaCSS is intended for people with BAs in the social sciences who are in the early career stage (0-5 years post-BA).  The program will train students in computational methods and applied statistical analysis, deepen their understanding of data-driven social-science research, and provide guidance about careers in data analytics.  

The program is integrative:  all courses (except career development) involve applied statistics, computing tools and techniques, social-science theory and evidence, albeit with different emphases, and ethics.  For example, the applied statistics courses will emphasize statistics, but will require students to deploy computational tools to do data analysis, will focus on analyzing data that relate to social-science questions, and will engage with ethical issues.  This integration will give students repeated hands-on experience with statistics and computing tools, guided by social-science theory and evidence.  

The program’s heavy emphasis on social science will ensure a more ethically responsible implementation of data science and interpretation of data.  Student teams will also collaborate on an applied capstone project.  Finally, for students who have not taken advanced undergraduate statistics and/or have little experience with computing, we will offer a summer boot camp in applied statistics and computing before enrollment.  Students can waive out of the boot camp through exams.

We’re excited to share that the Richmond Fed is hosting the fifth annual Diverse Economics Conference (DivEc) on Friday, October 13. The conference is designed to give diverse undergraduate students an opportunity to explore the careers they could pursue with an economics degree.

For those who cannot attend in person, they can register to attend the conference virtually. They can simply indicate their preference when they register. We will also make available recordings of the sessions after the conference. 

I’ve attached a flier with an overview of the conference for you to share with your colleagues and a course assignment that can be used in conjunction with attending the conference.

Date: Friday, October 13, 2023  
Time: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.   
Cost: Free with required registration  
Location: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, 701 Byrd St., Richmond, VA 23219 

OR

Online 

Click here for more information or to register. 

At DivEc, students will have the opportunity to: 

·         Network with professionals working in the field of economics and gain insight into potential career opportunities. 

·         Learn about opportunities for undergraduate students and early career talent at the Richmond Fed. 

·         Connect with other students from universities who are interested in pursuing a degree in economics. 

·         Get a “behind the scenes” look at what it’s like to work at the Richmond Fed. 

I’m excited to share a job opportunity, great for a junior researcher interested in inequality and economics research. Blueprint Labs is a research lab based at the Department of Economics at MIT. They are hiring multiple research fellows to start as soon as possible, but no later than June 2024.

Research fellows are full-time staff members who work on 2-3 research projects in close collaboration with MIT professors Joshua Angrist, Parag Pathak, David Autor, and/or Nikhil Agarwal, as well as with affiliate researchers at other institutions. Fellows will have the opportunity to work on leading-edge, policy-relevant research in a collaborative workplace environment.

Learn more and apply here, and check out their "Working at Blueprint Labs" video for a glimpse into the day-to-day environment. If you have questions, please email hiring@mitblueprintlabs.org.

Good luck to all who apply!