From: MIT Professor Amy Finkelstein
I am looking to hire highly skilled and motived full-time
research assistants to begin in the summer or fall of 2013 and to work for at
least one year.
The position will entail close collaboration and assistance with all stages of empirical research in health economics. Examples of on-going projects include a randomized experiment in Oregon to evaluate the impact of expanding Medicaid to low income adults (see http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1108222 for a summary), analysis of market failures and government intervention in private insurance markets (see http://www.nber.org/reporter/2011number3/einav.html for overviews of recent work), and analyses of the nature and determinants of variation in health care practice across patients, providers, and areas.
The position will entail close collaboration and assistance with all stages of empirical research in health economics. Examples of on-going projects include a randomized experiment in Oregon to evaluate the impact of expanding Medicaid to low income adults (see http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1108222 for a summary), analysis of market failures and government intervention in private insurance markets (see http://www.nber.org/reporter/2011number3/einav.html for overviews of recent work), and analyses of the nature and determinants of variation in health care practice across patients, providers, and areas.
The ideal candidate
will have (i) a strong quantitative background, (ii) strong computer skills
including programming, (iii) be able to work independently, and (iv) have a
long-term interest in pursuing a PhD in economics. Background in economics is a
plus, but not necessary – I welcome candidates with strong technical
backgrounds who are looking for more exposure to economics. Prior research
assistant experience is strongly preferred. Excellent grades are required. The
job is ideal for someone with an enthusiasm for empirical research, and the
ability and interest to learn new skills and take initiative as a project
develops.
The position is
located at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in Cambridge
Massachusetts, with the opportunity to interact with economics undergraduates,
graduate students, and faculty from both Harvard and MIT. Annual salary is $52,000,
along with access to the NBER’s employee health insurance plan starting on the
first of the month following the employee’s start date.
TO APPLY: Please submit a single pdf document
containing the following materials to the NBER online application system (https://home.eease.adp.com/recruit/?id=2441731).
Applications will be
considered on a rolling basis:
1. A cover letter
that includes:
A brief description of your experience as a research
assistant and with any independent research (e.g. thesis or other research
projects)
A description of your
familiarity with various statistical and computer packages (e.g. STATA, SAS,
Gauss, Matlab etc.)
The names of two references (and their email and phone
contact information) who will be providing written references. At least one reference must be someone for
whom you have worked as a research assistant. Please indicate which
references you have worked for as a research assistant.
2. A current CV
3. A transcript (unofficial is fine).
4. A condensed transcript. Please provide a
written list of classes on the transcript that are in economics, mathematics,
statistics or computer science. For each please include columns for the name of
the course, the date taken, the school at which the course was taken, and the
main textbook(s) used in the course.
In addition, please
ask your references to send a written letter of recommendation to me at finkelRA@nber.org.
