Description:

The Social Science Prediction Platform is an online platform that enables researchers to collect ex ante forecasts of what their studies will find. These forecasts can be useful in a number of applications, some of which are summarized in this Science Policy Forum piece. Profs. Stefano DellaVigna (UC Berkeley) and Eva Vivalt (University of Toronto) are seeking a pre-doctoral fellow to assist with the Social Science Prediction Platform and be an integral part of the team. This is a full-time position for a period of one year, which could be extended to a maximum of two years.

The Pre-Doctoral Fellowship offers an opportunity to gain training in a broad set of economic research topics and approaches, including data-intensive methods that will give pre-docs an unparalleled window to research in applied microeconomics. This opportunity is most suitable for recent graduates with a master’s in economics, or a bachelor’s with substantial coursework in economics and applied econometrics, who are proximately planning to pursue a Ph.D. in economics, public policy, and related fields. It will help candidates moving onto Ph.D. programs to hit the ground running for their own graduate studies. As part of this role, the pre-doc will assist faculty mentors at the University of Toronto’s Department of Economics. The role is based on-campus, sharing workspace with other fellows to foster camaraderie and peer learning.

Duties:

The pre-doc will gain experience analyzing large and complex data sets, working with software like Stata and R. Primary facets of this training involve:

• Cleaning and managing large datasets.
• Turning complex data into informative figures and tables.
• Liaising with researchers at other universities regarding their projects.
• Designing and testing forecasting surveys for randomized controlled trials in a number of fields, including behavioural economics, development economics, and labour economics.

This hands-on research practice is strengthened with additional education opportunities, including attending department research seminars.

Education and Experience:

We are looking for candidates who are excited about getting started with practical research applications, have a solid quantitative background, have strong programming skills, and are considering pursuing a Ph.D. in economics or a closely related discipline. Work authorization in Canada, whether by citizenship or an open work permit, is required.

Desired Start Date:

Flexible

Application Instructions:

If interested, please prepare your:

• CV
• Transcripts
• Brief (one-page) cover letter describing your academic career, research interests, experience with the programming languages listed above, and future goals.

Please submit your application to info@foslab.org.