Deadline: January 10, 2025
Applications are open for the Harvard Kennedy School Growth Lab Research Fellowships 2025. The Growth Lab Research Fellowship is an exciting and challenging role that offers a unique opportunity to work on the frontier of economic research and apply findings to address real-world development problems.
Under the guidance of Professor Ricardo Hausmann, affiliated professors, and senior researchers, Research Fellows contribute to the lab’s core research agenda while collaborating with government leaders and development practitioners to inform policymaking through research-based insights. The Growth Lab strives to provide a supportive and stimulating environment where Research Fellows can hone their analytical and policy skills through hands-on experience and mentoring from faculty and senior researchers.
They are looking for candidates with a strong background in one or several areas of economics (economic growth, international trade, macroeconomics, labor markets, innovation, green growth, applied econometrics and/or data science), as well as a deep interest in applied research, working in developing countries, and interacting with a multitude of collaborators in varying contexts and a fast-paced environment.
Responsibilities
Policy Research Responsibilities
- Creatively contribute to the Growth Lab’s research agenda by identifying promising research questions, sourcing new datasets, proposing novel quantitative methods or suggesting specific analyses and visualizations.
- Advance the technical execution of research, from analytical design to data collection, data analysis, visualization, and the interpretation of research findings.
- Support the application of research findings to policy development.
- Communicate and collaborate closely with stakeholders in the field, including by traveling to project sites.
- Write research publications, including project reports, policy memos, presentations, and academic publications.
- Build and maintain networks and strong relationships with colleagues and other counterparts in the space of economic growth theory, network sciences, and industrial policy.
Organizational Responsibilities
- Support the recruitment and mentoring of research assistants.
- Organize the presentation of research from conferences to thematic presentations at the Kennedy Schools, in the field, or in other settings.
- Build upon existing programs such as the “Growth Lab Development Talks” by identifying and inviting potential speakers.
- Contribute to knowledge management, diffusion, and outreach.
- Identify and expand internships and learning opportunities for students at Harvard, with a particular focus on the Kennedy School.
Eligibility
- Master’s degree in economics, public policy, international development, statistics, business administration, or a related field (expected graduation in Spring 2025 or already graduated).
- Proficiency in statistical software (STATA, R, and/or Python).
- Excellent judgment in problem-solving and decision-making.
- Strong ability to initiate, foster and maintain relationships through regular interaction with faculty, leaders in the public and private sectors, students and other stakeholders that could contribute to the success of the lab.
- Flexibility, self-motivation, and the ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently, both individually and as a team member.
- Fluency and excellent communication skills in English, including the ability to present research and recommendations to senior officials and researchers, and to contribute significantly to the preparation of policy reports, policy memos, academic publications, or others.
- Minimum 3 years of directly related experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Familiarity with the Growth Lab’s work on economic growth, growth diagnostics, Economic Complexity and/or green growth.
- Experience working with public officials and civil servants (e.g., through work in government, multilateral development banks, or a consulting/advisory environment).
- Prior experience conducting research on or living in developing countries, and flexibility to travel.
- Spanish, French, or Arabic language proficiency a plus.
Application
They invite candidates to send a resume, cover letter, transcripts for all degrees (undergraduate and graduate), and a brief (1-2 pages) writing sample on a policy issue (preferably a short-form document e.g., a policy memo).
Send all documents to [email protected] referencing Growth Lab Fellow 2025 ([first and last name]in the subject line) by January 10, 2025. In the body of your email, please indicate how you heard about the job posting (and the name of any referral), along with your earliest expected availability.
For more information, visit Growth Lab Research Fellowships.
