AIER Internship (Fall 2027)

aier.bamboohr.com; Great Barrington (MA); On-site; USD 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing on campus

Travel reimbursement

Job summary

American Institute for Economic Research invites undergraduates and recent graduates to join a structured internship program that blends scholarly research, policy analysis, and editorial writing. Interns work closely with AIER staff on projects aligned with their interests and AIER’s mission.

Participants develop a self‑developed research project, receive coaching in research design and presentation, and present their final work to AIER staff and visiting scholars.

Responsibilities

• Assist staff on research projects related to AIER's mission.
• Develop a self‑directed research project culminating in a conference or journal submission.
• Engage in curriculum discussions, seminars, and workshops on economic analysis.

Job description

The Opportunity

AIER’s Internships are unparalleled professional opportunities for undergraduates considering careers in economic research, academia, or the private sector. They provide college students and recent graduates the opportunity to work closely with staff on projects relating to their interests and AIER’s mission, including scholarly research, policy analysis, editorial writing, as well opportunities in other departments. Our interns have leveraged their experiences to launch careers at organizations like The World Bank, The Institute for Justice, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, and IBM and many other research institutes and companies across the world. A significant number of our former interns now teach and research at well‑respected universities across the country.

Research

At the core of the AIER internship program is a self‑developed research project, in which each intern develops their research interest into the foundation of an academic conference presentation and/or journal article, as well as how to communicate their results to the general public. While building out their project, interns are coached on how to develop research ideas, how to ask and justify interesting and important research questions, select an appropriate methodology, present their findings to scholars and peers, and receive critical feedback. At the end of their internship, each intern presents their final product to AIER staff and visiting scholars and is advised on how to develop their project further. They leave not only with a research product, but a new understanding what engaging in deep, careful, and detailed analysis of issues relevant to life and liberty of individuals – not just to academic discussion – entails.

Curriculum

A robust reading‑and‑discussion curriculum is the basis of the AIER internship. Interns are presented with selections of leading academic writing on Public Choice analysis, the history of the Great Enrichment, US Debt and monetary policy, and the importance of property rights, among other topics. In a series of seminar‑style discussions led by AIER researchers, they develop their understanding of the ideas and principles behind the texts, and build an intellectual toolkit to bring to bear on economic problems in their future professional and/or academic careers.

Workshops

Through a series of workshops, interns learn and practice the essentials of academic and popular writing, various research methods, fundamental and advanced techniques in econometrics, economic analysis through AIER economic indicators and Bloomberg terminal data, blockchain technology and cryptocurrency trading, and more. The workshops are led by experts from AIER and related organizations and are generally conducted face‑to‑face, so individualized feedback and mentoring can be prioritized.

Compensation

AIER interns are paid Massachusetts minimum wage.

AIER will reimburse for expenses associated with traveling to and from Great Barrington, MA.

Accommodations

Housing is provided in the AIER manor or cottages right on campus, close to the beautiful town of Great Barrington.

Session Deadline

Fall 2027: August 29 - November 5

Application Deadline: June 11, 2027

Selected candidates are contacted for an interview within 2 weeks of the due date.

**This is a non-benefit eligible position.

Questions? [e-mail]