Northwestern University - Evanston, IL

posted about 2 months ago

Full-time - Entry Level
Evanston, IL
Educational Services

About the position

The Global Poverty Research Lab (GPRL) at Northwestern University is seeking a full-time Research Project Coordinator to support the Principal Investigators (PIs), Professor Dean Karlan and Professor Christopher Udry, in various research projects focused on social protection, cognitive behavioral therapy, rainfall insurance, agricultural extension services, the role of social networks in the labor market, and women's mobility. This position offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in research design, data management, and project management while working closely with esteemed faculty members. The GPRL is dedicated to generating empirical evidence on the effectiveness of policies and programs across more than 10 countries, including regions in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, China, and Southeast Asia. The lab's research examines the intersection of poverty with various topics such as finance, education, gender, and the environment. The successful candidate will assist in planning and executing project scoping activities, developing analysis plans, and ensuring compliance with regulatory guidelines. In this role, the Research Project Coordinator will also be responsible for cultivating relationships with implementing partners, supporting research design tasks, and assisting in writing grant proposals and reports. The position requires strong quantitative skills, familiarity with randomized controlled trials, and excellent organizational and communication abilities. The coordinator will also participate in the recruitment and supervision of undergraduate Research Analysts, providing mentorship and training as needed. This role is ideal for individuals passionate about empirical research and eager to contribute to impactful projects that address global poverty issues.

Responsibilities

  • Assist PIs and Research Managers with project development and dissemination of tasks.
  • Plan and execute project scoping activities, including procuring publicly available data and communicating with potential research collaborators.
  • Develop analysis plans detailing statistical and analytical techniques to answer research questions.
  • Submit applications and modifications to the Institutional Review Board.
  • Cultivate relationships with implementing partners, including non-technical communication about study design.
  • Support research design tasks like power calculations, sampling, and randomization.
  • Assist in writing grant proposals and reports.
  • Support the development of presentations to communicate study results to academic and lay audiences.
  • Present analysis to PIs, including setting meeting agendas and incorporating feedback into subsequent analysis.
  • Ensure correct information entry into databases.
  • Assist PIs in reviewing, analyzing, interpreting, summarizing, formatting, editing, and preparing reports.
  • Draft reports and prepare tables and figures with empirical results for publications and presentations.
  • Coordinate between sponsoring agencies, collaborating organizations, and other research institutions.
  • Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulatory guidelines and research protocols.
  • Conduct literature reviews for analysis plans, working papers, and grant proposals.
  • Coordinate processing and analysis of data, conduct experimental tests and procedures.
  • Conduct analysis using advanced statistical and econometric tools and learn new analytical techniques as needed.
  • Develop new or revised research methodologies.
  • Participate in the recruitment process for Research Analysts, including conducting interviews and reviewing coding tests.
  • Supervise undergraduate Research Analysts as needed, managing workload and allocating tasks.
  • Train and mentor new RAs, including onboarding on topics like Advanced Stata and Project Management.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in economics or another quantitative major.
  • Strong quantitative skills with coursework in econometrics and statistics.
  • Familiarity with randomized controlled trials.
  • Excellent organizational skills.
  • Fluency and excellent communication skills in English.
  • Ability to seek resources and self-teach new statistical, analytical, and programming techniques.
  • Flexible, self-motivating, and able to manage multiple tasks efficiently.

Nice-to-haves

  • Experience living and/or working in a developing country.
  • Enthusiasm for empirical research.
  • Familiarity with statistical, visualization, or digital data collection software like R, ArcGIS, Python, or SurveyCTO.

Benefits

  • Retirement plan
  • Comprehensive health care plans
  • Tuition discounts
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Programs for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care
  • Professional development resources
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