Summer Economics Fellows Program: Sponsors
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad filed of labor economics and statistics. The BLS is an independent national statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, business, and labor. BLS produces data on the topics of inflation and prices, employment, unemployment, pay and benefits, spending and time use, productivity, and workplace injuries, primarily for the U.S. economy, and in some cases, internationally (see http://www.bls.gov/bls/proghome.htm for more information). PhD researchers use BLS data to conduct economic analysis and to improve the quality of data collected and produced. An overview of BLS research programs can be seen at this link: http://www.bls.gov/bls/research.htm.
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
The Federal Reserve System consists of twelve Reserve Banks located around the country and the Board of Governors in Washington D.C. The Atlanta Fed is the Reserve Bank for the 6th district of the Federal Reserve System, responsible for the territory covering Alabama, Florida, Georgia and parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. One of the primary roles of each Reserve Bank is to guide monetary policy carried out by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). To carry out this responsibility, the Research Department of the Atlanta Fed employs about 25 Ph.D. economists and financial economists. The Research Department also houses the Center for Quantitative Economic Research; the Americas Center; the Center on Financial Innovation and Financial Stability; and the Center for Labor, Education, and Health Policy Studies. Each of these Centers is designed to focus the research activities of economists at the Fed and within the community around areas of expertise that reside in the Research Department. Further information about the Atlanta Fed's research department and the type of research in which the economists engage can be found online (http://www.frbatlanta.org/research/). The research productivity of the economists at the Atlanta Fed consistently places it at the top of the institutional rankings of research institutions in Georgia by RePEc.
Economic Research Service
The Economic Research Service (ERS) is a primary source of economic information and research in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With nearly 300 economists, most of whom have Ph.D.s, ERS is USDA’s think tank, and conducts a research program to inform public and private decision-making on economic and policy issues involving food, farming, natural resources, and rural development. In over 40 years of serving its constituents, ERS has made noteworthy contributions to agricultural, environmental, and rural development policy in the United States. CSWEP fellows will have the opportunity to contribute to an exciting research agenda and have access to unique primary data, as well as a vast library of secondary data and software. CSWEP applicants to the Economic Research Service should have a solid foundation in economic theory, strong quantitative skills, and an interest in applied policy-relevant research that compliments or contributes to the ERS program of work. Current Administration policy-relevant research priorities include climate change, food safety, health and nutrition—particularly childhood obesity, international food security, and rural economic development. We cannot hire any non-U.S. citizens. See the ERS website for more information about the program of work www.ers.usda.gov.
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City – Economic Research Department
The Economic Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City conducts innovative economic research on monetary policy and other issues of importance to the Bank and the Federal Reserve System and communicates the results of this research to policymakers, other researchers, and the general public. We are willing to consider summer fellows at the stage of writing a dissertation in the fields of macroeconomics, banking, or regional economics, or in fields relating to payments system research. The Summer Fellow will have the opportunity to interact with professionals in a stimulating research environment and to attend the Department’s invited seminar series. Students conducting computationally intensive research will find particularly attractive the availability of high-performance computer facilities. For more detailed information on the Research Department and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, please visit http://www.kansascityfed.org/research. Applicants should take care of visa requirements.
The Brookings Institute
The Economic Studies program at the Brookings Institution addresses current and emerging policy issues facing the United States and the rest of the world. Our aim is to increase understanding of how the economy works and what can be done to make it work better. We produce analysis of current developments, conduct longer-term research, engage with policymakers, and convene meetings that bring together experts and stakeholders on relevant issues. Learn more about our researchers and activities at this link: http://www.brookings.edu/economics.aspx.
International Monetary Fund
The IMF offers internships to approximately 40 graduate students each summer to carry out a research project under the supervision of an experienced economist. The internship lasts 10-13 weeks and is undertaken sometime between May and October, during a period convenient both to the intern and the host department.
Summary of Duties and Responsibilities
Interns prepare a paper outlining the results of their research, which they may be asked to present to the staff of their department at the end of the assignment. Papers of high standard may be published internally.
Projects assigned to interns differ from year-to-year depending on the departments' work program. Research covers a broad spectrum of economic issues, as evidenced by the following topics previously addressed:
--Banking Systems Efficiency and Financial Development in Sub-Saharan Africa;
--Long-run Global Imbalances;
--How does Monetary Policy affect the Chinese;
--Nexus Between Fiscal and Monetary Policy and How It Could be Affected by Structural and Institutional Reform;
--Optimal Savings of Oil Revenue: Theory and Evidence.
Qualifications
The internships are intended primarily for potential Economist Program candidates, and therefore the IMF is looking for the same general background. Intern candidates:
- should be within one or two years of completing their Ph.D. in Macroeconomics or a related field,
- must be in student status, i.e., must be returning to the university after the internship,
- should be ideally below the age of 30,
- have an excellent command of English, and
- must possess strong quantitative and computer skills.
Educational Requirements
Advanced training in macroeconomics (successful candidates are typically in their third or fourth year of their Ph.D. program)
Mathematica
Mathematica’s summer fellowship program provides students enrolled in a master’s or Ph.D. program in public policy or a social science an opportunity to build their research skills in a nonacademic environment. Summer fellows pursue independent research on a policy issue of relevance to the economic and social problems of minority groups and individuals with disabilities. Fellows receive a stipend of $6,000 for full participation ($2,000 per month for the months of June through August), plus $500 toward project-related expenses. Ctrl+Click on “2009 Summer Fellows” to see the work done by last year’s recipients. Opportunities are available in any of the following locations: Princeton, NJ, Ann Arbor, MI, Cambridge, MA, Chicago, IL, Oakland, CA, and Washington, DC. Applicants should submit the following items for consideration by March 12, 2010 to Human Resources, Mathematica Policy Research, P.O. Box 2393, Princeton, NJ 08543-2393:
- A resume
- A proposal (minimum 2,000 words) for the research project you hope to pursue, including a clear statement of the research question, its relevance to social policy affecting minorities, and the steps necessary to complete the project during the fellowship period
- Undergraduate and graduate transcripts (unofficial are acceptable)
- Two letters of recommendation, including one from a sponsoring faculty member
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/Employment/summerfellow.asp
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
The Chicago Fed is the Reserve Bank for the 7th district of the Federal Reserve System, responsible for the territory covering all of Iowa and most of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. The Research Department and the Financial Markets Group at the Chicago Fed employs about 35 Ph.D. economists and financial economists. In addition to doing analysis to inform monetary policy decisions, the economists at the Chicago Fed work on a wide variety of research projects. We are particularly interested in summer fellows who are either junior faculty or working on their dissertations who will have significant research synergies with the economists on staff. Further information about the Chicago Fed and the type of research in which the economists engage can be found online at http://www.chicagofed.org/webpages/research/index.cfm.
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
As part of the nation’s central bank, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston promotes price stability and sustainable growth in the nation and the New England region. In support of these functions, Research Department economists provide current economic analysis and policy advice to Federal Reserve decisionmakers. They also conduct innovative research on a wide range of economic, financial, and behavioral topics that aims to improve our understanding of the U.S. and global economies and to encourage better policy outcomes. Through presentations, publications, and advisory activities, they share their research and expertise with policymakers, fellow economists, and the public at large.
