Development Economics Postgraduate Associate- Digital and Governance
POSITION FILLED
Faculty Supervisor:
Project and Position Description:
Professor Rohini Pande, Henry J. Heinz II Professor of Economics, Director of the Economic Growth Center and Inclusion Economics at Yale University, is looking to hire a highly skilled and motivated post-graduate research associate to work as part of her research team. The position will involve assisting empirical research in international development economics, specifically on a project that aims to evaluate how digital monitoring tools can improve service delivery in a large rural social protection program in India.
In this project, Professor Pande and the research team have partnered with an Indian government counterpart to study and improve how government programs deliver social protection to vulnerable populations. Research focuses on state capacity and service delivery, focusing on how to cost effectively deliver social protection to the most vulnerable. It also generates widely-applicable insights on how digital tools can impact efficiency and equity in social protection schemes, with broad potential to support governments in developing countries that are actively building out digital public infrastructure. A central strand of the work involves building and launching digital “smart payments” tools, designed using insights from prior randomized evaluations. Post-launch, the team will collect additional data on tool usage in order to understand how they impact last-mile service delivery, while also conducting large-scale analyses of administrative data to inform future evidence-based innovations. These tools have the potential to reach millions of citizens and frontline officials.
Fellows are exposed to cutting-edge topics and research methods in this area. This position is data-intensive, and the selected candidate will be expected to analyze survey data, administrative data, and intervention monitoring data. Good writing skills are valued. Fellows join in weekly lab meetings and benefit from opportunities to work with Professor Pande and academic economists at Yale and other universities. The position is offered for one year, with a strong preference for a second year renewal.
Inclusion Economics at Yale University (YIE) is a policy-based research initiative based out of the Yale Economic Growth Center (EGC) and Yale Macmillan Center, and works in collaboration with other researchers from Yale as well as other institutions, such as Inclusion Economics India Centre and Inclusion Economics Nepal. YIE draws upon economics, political science, and related fields to 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 labor economics and broader economic empowerment, political economy and governance, and environmental economics.
Responsibilities for this position include:
-Cleaning and managing large datasets;
-Conducting statistical analyses of data using Stata;
-Preparing literature reviews, background research, and other draft content for grant proposals and academic papers;
-Drafting project reports, slide-decks, research protocols, and other project documents;
-Working with field research teams, including travel to study sites (South Asia, multiple sites)
Requisite Skills and Qualifications:
Strong quantitative background: This could include Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Economics, Data Science, International Development, or other degrees with substantial quantitative coursework
Strong computer skills including programming in Stata and/or R
-Strong academic record and interest in pursuing a PhD in economics
-Strong interest in public policy and economic development research, with a focus on India
-Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
-Ability to work independently
-Willingness to travel to South Asia, including rural areas
Prior experience as a research assistant in Economics or a related field is preferred. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.
Special Application Instructions:
In addition to completing the Tobin Center common application, applicants for this position are required to complete this short screening questionnaire: https://forms.gle/TWutzAGayPKP6YGE8