Pre-Doctoral Fellow, CIDER; SC Johnson College of Business

The Opportunity

The Cornell Collaboration for International Development Economics Research (CIDER) Pre-doctoral Research Fellowship Program is a full-time, post-baccalaureate opportunity designed for individuals seeking preparation for doctoral study in Economics, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Development Studies, Public Policy, or related disciplines. Fellows work closely with Cornell faculty whose research focuses broadly on development economics, providing support for quantitative research and data analysis across a variety of ongoing projects. The CIDER faculty can be found at https://business.cornell.edu/centers/cider/. Depending on project needs, language skills, and individual interest, opportunities for field research may also be available. In addition to contributing to faculty-led research, fellows are encouraged to engage in the intellectual life of the university through seminars, workshops, brown-bag discussions, and cohort-based professional development. We expect to recruit multiple fellows as part of a cohort that will join continuing CIDER pre-doctoral fellows. This is a full-time, one-year term staff position based onsite in Ithaca, New York, with the possibility of renewal for up to two years based on performance and the availability of funding. This term appointment offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on research experience while preparing for future doctoral studies within a collaborative and academically rigorous environment.

About CIDER

CIDER is a cross-campus initiative at Cornell University encompassing 25 faculty from multiple units across the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. Cornell has a prominent brand name and a rich history of leadership in international development economics research and outreach, perhaps especially in the economics of poverty, food insecurity, and agricultural and rural development. Cornell was arguably the main academic incubator of Asia's Green Revolution. The world's main poverty and food insecurity measures were developed here. So were other key theories, measures and evidence around labor markets, nutrition, poverty traps, poverty-environment interactions, power, resilience, structural transformation, etc. Rigorous applied research to influence public and private decision makers globally is a part of Cornell's role as "the land grant university to the world."

Key Responsibilities :

Research Support

• Coordinate with faculty Principal Investigator(s) (PIs) and other members of the research team to assist in planning, designing, implementing, conducting, and analyzing research projects and associated data collection activities.
• Collect, clean, manage, and analyze secondary data to support faculty-led research initiatives.
• Work closely with PI(s) to develop and maintain code used to organize, structure, and analyze research data.
• Support the design, implementation, monitoring, and updating of research surveys.
• Liaise with partner organizations involved in research implementation and data collection efforts.
• Conduct literature reviews and synthesize findings to support ongoing research projects.
• Assist in the preparation of manuscripts for publication, conference presentations, and research talks.
• Support PI(s) in the preparation of grant and funding reports, Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions, and other research-related documentation.

Administrative Support

• Prepare materials and resources for programs, events, and initiatives as advised by the CIDER leadership team.
• Provide logistical and administrative support for CIDER events, including virtual and in-person training programs, workshops, and seminars.

Professional Development

• Participate in regular research seminar series and engage in the intellectual life of the university.
• Participate in professional development and training opportunities for research assistants offered through CIDER and other campus units, including Mann Library and the Cornell Center for Social Sciences.
• With mutual agreement between the pre-doctoral Fellow and supervising faculty PI(s), serve as a teaching assistant for a related course. Appropriate workload adjustments will be provided during the teaching assistantship period to ensure total effort does not exceed 100% FTE.

What We Need

For further consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter describing your research interests, relevant quantitative research experience and skills, and interest in pursuing doctoral study.

Applications received by October 15, 2026, will receive full consideration. Applications received after this date may be considered until the positions are filled.

• Bachelor's degree in economics, business, public policy, mathematics, statistics, or a related field with 2 to 4 years relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Previous coursework in econometrics and statistics and familiarity with statistical software such as Stata or R.
• Strong knowledge of economics research techniques and/or methods, manifest in coursework and/or prior research experience.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent professional verbal, written, and presentations skills.
• Ability to work well independently, as well as with others, and to meet deadlines.
• Ability to seek out, coordinate, and appropriately disseminate information.
• Experience working directly with people from various socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Experience incorporating the perspectives of multiple communities.

If you have all those things, great! We have a few more things that we would prefer you to have, but it's ok if you don't.

• Master's degree in economics, business, public policy, mathematics, statistics, or a related field.
• Relevant research experience (e.g., a senior thesis).
• Experience with additional data analysis, programming, or GIS tools such as ArcGIS, Python, or SQL.
• Foreign language proficiency, especially in French, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, and/or Portuguese.

Rewards and Benefits

Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability.

• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.

• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell

• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell

• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell:Total Rewards | Working at Cornell.

Those with F-1 OPT/STEM OPT can apply. No other visa sponsorship or relocation assistance is available for this position.

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