Students and early-career researchers planning to pursue a PhD in economics, finance, public policy, health economics, or related fields can explore Predoctoral Research Fellowship opportunities at Stanford University’s Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). The programme offers opportunities to work directly with Stanford researchers on a diverse range of research projects covering immigration, inequality, taxation, health, climate economics, artificial intelligence, international trade, healthcare, finance, economic policy, and digital media. These positions are particularly suitable for candidates who want to strengthen their quantitative research, programming, data analysis, and academic research experience before pursuing doctoral studies. Stanford SIEPR Predoctoral Research Fellowship The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research provides a platform for research on important economic and policy issues. Its open predoctoral projects allow research fellows to work closely with faculty members and contribute to different stages of the research process. Depending on the project, fellows may be involved in building and harmonizing datasets, conducting econometric analysis, undertaking historical research, reviewing academic literature, writing research papers, developing research tools, and producing policy-oriented research outputs. The available projects cover a particularly broad range of research areas, allowing applicants to identify opportunities that closely match their academic interests and technical skills. Immigration, Education and Equality of Opportunity One fellowship project led by Professor Ran Abramitzky examines the long-term relationship between immigration, education, and equality of opportunity in the United States. The research fellow will assist with assembling and harmonizing datasets, conducting econometric analysis, undertaking historical research, and contributing to paper drafts. The ideal candidate should have prior coding experience, a strong quantitative and programming background, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and a long-term interest in economic research. Public Economics, Taxation and Immigration A joint research position with Professors Ran Abramitzky and Rebecca Lester covers public economics, taxation, immigration, and economic history. The one-year position, with the possibility of renewal for a second year, provides exposure to different stages of research, including data construction, empirical analysis, literature reviews, writing, and project development. This opportunity could be particularly valuable for candidates seeking broad research experience before applying for doctoral programmes. Health Inequality Research The Health Inequality Lab, led by Professor Marcella Alsan, examines the causes and consequences of health inequality. Predoctoral fellows can contribute to research using electronic health records, administrative data, surveys, and randomized evaluations. Fellows may participate in study design, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. The project combines economic methods with health research and policy evaluation, making it relevant to candidates interested in health economics, public policy, and inequality. Economic Progress, AI and Historical Institutions Professor Lukas Althoff’s research examines long-run economic change, progress, and inequality. Projects explore how technologies such as artificial intelligence and the early internet influence scientific discovery, alongside research into how historical institutions shape economic opportunity across generations. Fellows are expected to work extensively with historical archives and modern data sources, develop causal-inference and analysis code, and contribute to papers and public research products. Prior economics training is not required. The project particularly welcomes candidates with backgrounds in mathematics and computer science, as well as applicants who are comfortable using AI coding tools for research and data analysis. Climate Economics, Trade and Economic Geography Professors Adrien Bilal and Benny Kleinman are seeking research assistants for projects at the intersection of macroeconomics, international trade, economic geography, and climate economics. Research topics include climate change, local economies, the spatial organization of firms, AI in the global economy, and economic spillovers between countries and regions. Candidates should have strong quantitative and programming skills and preferably experience with Stata, R, Python, or Julia. AI, Jobs and the Future of Work Other SIEPR opportunities focus on the rapidly changing relationship between artificial intelligence, employment, and economic activity. Professor Nicolas Bloom’s research examines the impact of AI on productivity, employment, and distributional outcomes, as well as uncertainty and trends in working from home. Professor Erik Brynjolfsson’s project focuses specifically on developing new economic measures of how AI is affecting workers, jobs, and the economy. Research fellows will create datasets and tools, analyze information, develop findings, and communicate results through writing and data visualization. Strong Python skills and experience with data analysis are particularly relevant to this project. Healthcare, Finance and Economic Policy Additional opportunities cover empirical research in credit and healthcare markets, digital media, public policy, financial intermediation, consumer finance, energy markets, housing, and childcare. Projects may involve large datasets, field experiments, structural models, causal inference, data management, and policy analysis. For example, the financial intermediation research led by Professor Amit Seru examines fintech, Big Tech, financial regulation, consumer protection, and household financial decisions. Fellows may build large linked datasets and use Python, SQL, R, or Stata for data processing and econometric analysis. Who Should Consider These Fellowships? The Stanford SIEPR opportunities are particularly relevant to candidates with strong quantitative, programming, analytical, and research skills. Depending on the project, applicants may benefit from experience with: Python, R, Stata, Julia, or SQL Econometric analysis Large-scale datasets Causal inference Data visualization Historical research Academic literature reviews Research writing Artificial intelligence and data tools Some projects explicitly note that a background in economics is not essential if candidates have strong quantitative or technical preparation. Why a Stanford Predoctoral Fellowship Can Be Valuable Predoctoral research experience can help candidates understand the demands of academic research while developing practical skills needed for competitive PhD applications. At SIEPR, fellows can contribute to research from data preparation and analysis through writing, project development, and policy communication. Several projects also provide opportunities for close mentorship and intellectual ownership of research activities. The diversity of available projects means candidates can explore research questions spanning economics, technology, health, climate change, inequality, finance, and public policy. Interested applicants should review the individual project descriptions carefully and identify the opportunities that best match their academic background, research interests, and technical skills. VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE HERE For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and WPChannel Important: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the offering organisation. This opportunity is shared for informational purposes based on the official announcement. Applicants should verify all eligibility requirements, application documents, deadline details and submission procedures directly with Umeå University before applying. GSO does not accept applications or CVs on behalf of applicants. Find Scholarships JOIN GSO WHATSAPP CHANNEL NOW