Immigration Policy Data Research Assistant

The Pennsylvania State University; Ferguson Township (PA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The Pennsylvania State University invites applications for a law and/or graduate student research assistant to support a project cataloguing state immigration policies from 1989-2026. The RA will read, code, and enter state legislation data, working with the PI and a team of RAs.

The role runs for fall 2026 and spring 2027, with possible extension into summer 2027. Responsibilities include reading legislation, coding indicators, and ensuring data accuracy in a structured spreadsheet, while

Qualifications

• Interest in U.S. immigration law, social/public policy.
• Interest in gaining familiarity with social science and/or legal/legislative research.
• General familiarity with Excel and/or Google Sheets.

Responsibilities

• Read state legislation on immigrants/immigration.
• Code legislation for indicators following a coding protocol.
• Enter coded information into a structured spreadsheet.
• Clean collected state legislative data for accuracy and consistency.
• Communicate with the PI and participate in team meetings.

Skills

Immigration policy

Policy research

Excel/Sheets

Self-motivation

Communication skills

Education

Graduate student

Tools

Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

The Pennsylvania State University invites applications for a law and/or graduate student research assistant to support a project cataloguing state immigration policies from 1989-2026. The RA will read, code, and enter state legislation data, working with the PI and a team of RAs.

The role runs for fall 2026 and spring 2027, with possible extension into summer 2027. Responsibilities include reading legislation, coding indicators, and ensuring data accuracy in a structured spreadsheet, while