Immigration Policy Data Research Assistant

Penn State University; University Park (IL); On-site; USD 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Penn State University seeks a law and/or graduate student research assistant to support a project cataloguing state immigration policies from 1989-2026. You will read and code state bills on immigration, enter data into spreadsheets, and help clean the dataset under the guidance of the PI and a team of RAs.

The role covers fall 2026 and spring 2027 with potential extension into summer 2027. Strong attention to detail, self-management, and familiarity with Excel/Google Sheets are essential for

Qualifications

• Must have interest and/or formal specialization 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.
• Excellent self-management skills.
• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and stay organized with minimal supervision.
• Strong attention to detail and comfort with repetitive, careful data work.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Read state legislation on immigrants/immigration.
• Systematically code legislation for a series of indicators following an established coding protocol.
• Enter the coded information into a structured spreadsheet.
• Assist in cleaning collected state legislative data, checking for accuracy and consistency.
• Communicate regularly with the PI on progress and participate in regular team meetings.

Skills

Attention to detail

Self-management

Independent work

Communication skills

Tools

Excel/Google Sheets

Job description

Penn State University seeks a law and/or graduate student research assistant to support a project cataloguing state immigration policies from 1989-2026. You will read and code state bills on immigration, enter data into spreadsheets, and help clean the dataset under the guidance of the PI and a team of RAs.

The role covers fall 2026 and spring 2027 with potential extension into summer 2027. Strong attention to detail, self-management, and familiarity with Excel/Google Sheets are essential for