Pre-Doctoral Program – Global Talent Common Application

Povertyactionlab; Schweiz; Vor Ort; CHF 70.000 - 90.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

The Department of Economics at the University of Zurich invites applications for pre-doctoral positions (1–2 years) for qualified applicants from low- and middle-income countries and/or with a refugee background. This full-time, in-person program offers strong mentoring, with responsibilities spanning research, literature reviews, data analysis and writing.

Selected candidates will work closely with faculty, benefiting from hands-on training and a collaborative research environment in Zurich.

Qualifikationen

• Degree in economics or quantitative social science with strong grades (last 5 years).
• Strong knowledge of STATA, R or Python; familiarity with other stats software a plus.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Recommendation letter from 1–3 academic referees familiar with research.

Aufgaben

• Support professors with research projects across brainstorming, literature reviews, data analysis and writing.
• Contribute to all stages of research and learning on the job.
• Engage in on-the-job mentoring within a vibrant pre-doctoral community.

Kenntnisse

Quantitative skills

Programming

Analytical skills

English fluency

Ausbildung

Master's or Bachelor's degree in economics or quantitative social science

Tools

STATA

R

Python

Jobbeschreibung

Pre-Doctoral Program – Global Talent Common Application

Location:

Start Date (Earliest):

Start Date (Earliest): 1 March 2027

Start Date (Latest):

Start Date (Latest): 15 September 2027

Pre-Doctoral Program – Global Talent Common Application

The Department of Economics at the University of Zurich invites applications for pre-doc positions (1-2 years) for qualified applicants from low- and middle-income countries and/or with a refugee background.

There are two application paths. Applicants should pursue both, they are not mutually exclusive.

• Common Application: First, qualified applicants from eligible backgrounds can apply through this common application process. This process will lead to a pool of finalists, from which professors can choose to hire pre-docs. This job posting refers to this path.
• Individual Postings: Second, many professors separately post job opportunities for their own pre-doc positions. These positions are open to all applicants, regardless of their origin or background. It is strongly recommended that interested candidates also apply directly through those postings.

Your responsibilities

Pre-doctoral fellows work with a professor of the economics department to support their research, with substantive opportunities for on-the-job learning about academic research in economics. Pre-docs may be involved in all stages of research – brainstorming, literature reviews, project management, data analysis, and writing. The predoctoral position is a full-time in-person commitment (70% research, 30% on-the-job-learning).

The research fellow will become part of a vibrant community of predoctoral fellows at the department and of the wider research community at UZH. Predocs receive hands-on mentoring throughout. Previous pre-docs have worked, among others, with Professors Ingvild Almas, Sandro Ambühl, Lorenzo Casaburi, Ana Costa-Ramon, David Dorn, Thomas Graeber, David Hémous, Mathias Hoffmann, Ronak Jain, Dina Pomeranz, Hans-Joachim Voth, David Yanagizawa-Drott and Ulf Zölitz.

Your profile

Qualifications:

The pre-doctoral positions are ideal for recent graduates who are interested in potentially going on to do a PhD in economics or a related field. We are looking for highly motivated candidates with strong quantitative, programming and analytical skills, and an interest in economic research. We particularly value curiosity, perseverance, and a demonstrated commitment to research and learning.

Specific requirements:

• Master's or bachelor's degree (in the last 5 years) with strong grades in economics or another quantitative social science field, including strong math skills
• Strong knowledge of STATA, R or Python; familiarity with other statistical software or programming languages is a plus
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Recommendation letter from 1-3 letter writers who are familiar with academic research (professor, research supervisor, or similar)

The following qualifications are not required, but represent a plus:

• Knowledge of causal inference research methods
• Previous experience in research, e.g. as a research assistant or a research manager
• Top of the class, high GRE Quant score, completed MITx MicroMasters courses
• Proven ability to handle several different projects/tasks at one time, successfully complete tasks assigned, and meet deadlines

This common application is open to applicants who meet any of the following criteria.

• Having grown up in a low- or lower-middle income country (based on this World Bank classification)
• Having grown up in an upper-middle income country and being a first-generation university student (i.e. parents did not got to university)
• Refugee/asylum/forced migration background (having experienced flight or having had a residence status of stateless, asylum seeker, humanitarian visas, or similar).

No prior work permit for Switzerland is required.