Research Assistant - Inclusion Economics India Centre at IFMR

Who We Are:                                                                          

Inclusion Economics India Centre is an initiative affiliated with Inclusion Economics at Yale University, founded and based out of the Yale Economic Growth Center and MacMillan Center. Inclusion Economics India Centre is based at, and accountable to, the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) Society, with strategic oversight from Krea University. Inclusion Economics India Centre collaborates with the Yale Inclusion Economics team to enable inclusive economies and societies through research and policy engagement.

Drawing upon economics, political science, and related fields, we conduct cutting-edge research to understand how policy can promote inclusive, accountable economies and societies. Our core research focuses on gender as it relates to labour economics and broader economic empowerment; political economy and governance; and environmental economics. We also aim to build a culture of evidence and increase data literacy in the public sector, strengthening leaders’ ability to identify and implement evidence-informed policies. Throughout the research life cycle, we engage closely with policy counterparts to ensure we address questions of immediate relevance, and we regularly communicate data-driven insights with policy counterparts and the general public.

The Study:

Global attention on women’s political inclusion has coalesced into solutions that enable women’s descriptive representation - the guarantee of women’s presence in political spaces. But presence does not guarantee voice. In fact, despite widespread policies aimed at gender equality, women’s voices - their demands, needs, and interests - remain poorly represented in politics and policy. This imperfect representation of the voices of women in political institutions yields the underrepresentation of women’s interests and gender inequalities in policy access and social outcomes. Nowhere is this more salient than in India, where women continue to face chronic underrepresentation in politics. Accordingly, the primary research study will be focused on evaluating a proposed solution to women’s underrepresentation in politics – establishing a feedback loop between women citizens and representatives.

The selected candidate will also have the opportunity to join a team of leading economists and public policy experts at Yale and other reputed universities, to work on cutting-edge development research and gain first-hand experience working with policy partners, implementing surveys and field experiments, and conducting rigorous data analysis.

The Role:

We are hiring a Research Assistant to support a field-based research in Jharkhand, India. It is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in a career in policy engaged research, whether in university or a research/policy think tank. This position requires a self-starting candidate, who enjoys working on cutting edge research that informs policy. The candidate will have a unique opportunity to drive efforts to ensure that government policy priorities inform research agenda and vice versa.

Responsibilities:

• Assist in the design and field-testing of survey instruments (paper and digital)
• Conduct interviews and focus groups with participants to collect in-depth qualitative data.
• Hire and train field staff and manage data collection
• Analyze collected data to extract meaningful insights.
• Prepare detailed reports and documentation as required.
• Support the implementation of field experiments and training activities.
• Make detailed observation notes from the implementation of the field experiments.
• Identify and manage threats to the research design with support from Research Managers and Principal Investigators
• Supporting research professors in ensuring all field and data activities comply with IRB and field safety protocols
• Other, as required.

Basic Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's/Master’s degree in economics, social sciences, political science, public policy, or related fields
• Fluency and excellent communication skills (verbal and written) in English and Hindi
• Strong potential/familiarity in setting up primary data collection
• Proven analytical skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Stata
• Data collection experience is a plus
• Interest in public policy and economic development in low-income countries
• Mature, self-directed individual with ability to balance multiple tasks and prioritize effectively to meet deadlines in a fast-paced working environment

How to Apply:

If you are interested in this position, please fill out our Screening Questionnaire; you will be asked to upload a single PDF containing your CV, cover letter, and academic transcripts.  Label your file “Last name, First name – Research Assistant, Jharkhand”.

To view other open positions, visit the Inclusion Economics Opportunities page. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, particularly women, people of color and other marginalized communities which have historically been underrepresented in the field of economics.