BFI Employment Opportunities

About the Program

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) is seeking a full-time Research Professional to work with Oeindrila Dube, Philip K. Pearson Professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. This is a hands-on research role applying rigorous empirical methods to some of the most important questions in development economics and political economy. 

The program is intended to serve as a bridge between college and graduate school for students interested in empirical economics. Applicants must have strong quantitative and programming skills. Candidates with research experience are strongly preferred, especially those with experience in Stata, R, Python or Matlab. The ideal candidate would work for BFI for one or two years before applying to graduate school in Economics or another quantitative social science. BFI offers competitive salary and employee benefits. 

Job Summary

Can dialogue between warring groups reduce violence? And, how does media influence social and cultural norms? These are the kinds of questions driving this research, and we’re looking for someone to help answer them. 

What you’ll work on
Two major projects form the core of this role: 

• Conflict and dialogue in Nigeria: In collaboration with James Robinson (UChicago) and Soeren Henn (U Wisconsin-Madison), we are analyzing the results of a large-scale field experiment studying how contact between warring groups affects farmer-herder violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. 
• Impact of media on social norms and culture: In collaboration with Joshua Blumenstock (UC Berkeley) and Karrar Hussein (AUB) we are investigating how exposure to western media affect gender norms and gender inequality in an Islamic society. This project brings together novel big data sources and causal identification strategies to understand deep-rooted disparities. 

Who we’re looking for
The ideal candidate has strong quantitative training in economics or a related field and is genuinely curious about how political and social forces shape conflict, development, and gender inequality. Experience working with large datasets is central to this role.

Why this role?
The position is intended to bridge the gap between the classroom and graduate school for students in empirical research through applied research work. Applicants interested in pursuing PhDs in Economics, Public Policy, or Political Economy are encouraged to apply. You will gain deep exposure to frontier empirical methods, receive mentorship from faculty, and contribute to projects with direct policy relevance. The collaborative nature of these projects also means you will interact with a broader network of leading researchers across institutions. This position provides access to UChicago coursework, allowing you to address potential gaps in academic background. 

Unit-preferred Competencies

• Proficient in writing replicable data files on Stata and/or R; experience with Python is a plus
• Strong understanding of causal inference methods — randomized controlled trials, difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity, or related approaches
• Experience working with large datasets, including cleaning and merging complex data from multiple sources
• Congenial interpersonal skills required to manage projects, including scheduling and managing timelines.
• Strong writing and communication skills to help prepare literature reviews, produce presentations, and write reports.
• Excellent organizational skills
• Attention to detail 
• Strong academic writing/communication skills

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, statistics or a related quantitative discipline

Experience

• At least one year of relevant research experience (coursework and school projects count)

Technical Skills or Knowledge

• Knowledge of R and/or Python preferred
• Knowledge of STATA preferred

Preferred Qualifications

• Has experience designing survey instruments or accurately encoding survey data;
• Experience with geospatial data is also a plus
• Is comfortable with version control and collaborative coding (git/GitHub)
• Has familiarity with the IRB process and applications
• Has familiarity with AI-powered coding tools (e.g., Claude Code, Codex)

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• Writing Sample (required)
• Transcripts (unofficial is acceptable) (required)
• Two Professional References (required)

About the Department

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics aims to foster frontier research and apply those findings to achieve global impact. BFI brings together researchers from the Booth School of Business, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, the Harris School of Public Policy, the Law School, and the entire University of Chicago Economics Community to leverage robust data, apply cutting-edge analytical tools, and uncover novel insights on the world’s most difficult economic problems. BFI then bridges the divide between academic researchers and relevant policy makers by translating and packaging rigorous research into accessible formats and proactively sharing those findings with decision-makers and thought leaders in business, government and nonprofit institutions. In this way, BFI has the potential to play a significant role in meeting the most difficult challenges facing the global community.

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

About the Program

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) is seeking to hire a full-time Research Professional to work with Professor Oeindrila Dube. Applicants must have completed a Bachelors degree by June 2026 and available to begin work in summer 2026. The Research Professional’s responsibilities will span all stages of research, including collecting data of in both tabular and spatial formats, developing algorithms that clean and organize data, conducting statistical analyses, running simulations, and preparing manuscripts and presentations. 

The program is intended to serve as a bridge between college and graduate school for students interested in empirical economics. Applicants must have strong quantitative and programming skills. Candidates with research experience are strongly preferred, especially those with experience in Stata, R, Python or Matlab. The ideal candidate would work for BFI for one or two years before applying to graduate school in Economics or another quantitative social science. BFI offers competitive salary and employee benefits. 

Job Summary

Can cutting-edge AI make policing more equitable?  Can we infer what is in a police officer’s mind from observing their behavior? These are the kinds of question driving our research program, and we’re looking for someone to help answer them. 

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) is seeking a full-time Research Professional to work with Oeindrila Dube, Philip K. Pearson Professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. This is a hands-on research role at the frontier of computer science and economics, with real stakes: the projects you’ll work on aim to change how police interact with the public.  

We are applying NLP and machine learning to terabytes of body-worn camera footage to build tools that improve policing outcomes. We will evaluate the effectiveness of these tools using experimental methods. This work builds on “A Cognitive View of Policing” (QJE 2025). You will be working at real scale, using data that matters.  

The ideal candidate has strong training in computer science and economics or a related social science field. While you don’t need to have majored in economics, you should be excited to learn how economists think about leveraging NLP/AI tools and generate causal evidence. 

Unit-preferred Competencies

• Strong programming skills in Python, including experience with at least some machine learning libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, PyTorch, Hugging Face) 
• Has experience working with large structured/unstructured datasets in a research or internship setting
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent organizational skills
• Attention to detail 
• Strong academic writing/communication skills

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in CS, economics, statistics, math, or a related quantitative discipline

Experience

• At least one year of relevant research experience (coursework and school projects count)

Technical Skills or Knowledge

• Knowledge of R and/or Python preferred
• Knowledge of STATA preferred

Preferred Qualifications

• Has experience in NLP, speech/ASR, or computer vision.
• Has experience with R and Stata are a plus (as Stata is used in the field experiment work)
• Has had exposure to causal inference or program evaluation — or is eager to develop these skills quickly.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• Writing Sample (required)
• Transcripts (unofficial is acceptable) (required)
• Two Professional References (required)

About the Department

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics aims to foster frontier research and apply those findings to achieve global impact. BFI brings together researchers from the Booth School of Business, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, the Harris School of Public Policy, the Law School, and the entire University of Chicago Economics Community to leverage robust data, apply cutting-edge analytical tools, and uncover novel insights on the world’s most difficult economic problems. BFI then bridges the divide between academic researchers and relevant policy makers by translating and packaging rigorous research into accessible formats and proactively sharing those findings with decision-makers and thought leaders in business, government and nonprofit institutions. In this way, BFI has the potential to play a significant role in meeting the most difficult challenges facing the global community.

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job Summary

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) is seeking to hire a full-time Research Professional to work with Visiting Professor Brian Greaney and UChicago Professors Adao, Castro-Vincenzi and Rossi-Hansberg on ongoing and new research projects related to spatial economics and economic geography. Applicants must have completed a Bachelors degree by June 2026 and available to begin work in summer 2026.

The Research Professional’s responsibilities will be integral to the projects of the Spatial Dynamics Incubator within the Kenneth C. Griffin Applied Economics Incubator, and will span all stages of research, including collecting and processing tabular and spatial data, developing data pipelines, conducting econometric analysis, running structural simulations, and contributing to manuscripts and presentations. A central component of the role will be the development and maintenance of efficient, well-structured, and fully reproducible code to advance quantitative research in spatial economics and economic geography.

Unit-Specific Responsibilities

• Leads the development and maintenance of scalable, well-documented, and reproducible computational infrastructure for quantitative modeling and simulation in spatial economics and economic geography.
• Cleans and analyzes data.
• Writes or finalizes replicable data files or scripts for publication.
• Ensures compliance of research activities with institutional, state, and federal regulatory policies, procedures, directives, and mandates. Analyzes possible solutions using standard procedures.
• Assists with writing data analysis plans and contributes to preparing study registration documents.
• Supports the implementation of field experiments including supporting the design and implementation of surveys, and monitoring the quality of data collected, when needed.
• Supports with writing of grant and policy reports and assists with drafting presentations of research findings.
• Takes responsibility for the following non-laboratory duties: transcribing and coding data; developing data collection instruments; presenting research; and recruiting and scheduling research subjects. Acquires higher-level skills and knowledge in the process.
• Maintains technical and administrative support for a research project.
• Analyzes and maintains data and/or specimens. Conducts literature reviews. Assists with preparation of reports, manuscripts and other documents.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Unit-preferred Competencies

• Experience in econometrics.
• Advanced coursework in Economics or Mathematics.
• Strong programming skills in multiple languages such as Python, MATLAB, or Julia, with the ability to write efficient, well-documented, and reproducible code.
• Familiarity in analyzing large data sets, applying econometrics methods.
• Knowledge of machine learning techniques in data analysis.
• Familiarity with statistical analysis packages such as Stata, R, or Python.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet tight deadlines.
• Work both independently and as a team member.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications

Education

• Master’s degree in Economics, Public Policy, Computer Science, Data Science, or a closely related field.

Experience

• Relevant research experience as a research assistant.
• Advanced knowledge of research techniques and methods in relevant scientific field.

Academic Background

• Dual degree or strong coursework in Economics and Computer Science, or completion of interdisciplinary programs such as computational social science, econometrics-intensive data science, or economics-oriented CS programs
• Graduate work emphasizing quantitative methods, machine learning, or computational economics is a plus

Technical Skills or Knowledge

• Strong programming skills in multiple languages such as Python, MATLAB, or Julia, with the ability to write efficient, well-documented, and reproducible code.
• Familiarity in analyzing large data sets, applying econometrics methods.
• Knowledge of machine learning techniques in data analysis.
• Familiarity with statistical analysis packages such as Stata, R, or Python.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• Writing Sample (required)
• Transcripts (unofficial is acceptable) (required)
• Two Professional References (required)

About the Department

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics aims to foster frontier research and apply those findings to achieve global impact. BFI brings together researchers from the Booth School of Business, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, the Harris School of Public Policy, the Law School, and the entire University of Chicago Economics Community to leverage robust data, apply cutting-edge analytical tools, and uncover novel insights on the world’s most difficult economic problems. BFI then bridges the divide between academic researchers and relevant policy makers by translating and packaging rigorous research into accessible formats and proactively sharing those findings with decision-makers and thought leaders in business, government and nonprofit institutions. In this way, BFI has the potential to play a significant role in meeting the most difficult challenges facing the global community.

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

About the Department

Inspired by our namesakes, Nobel Laureates Gary Becker and Milton Friedman, who believed that economic research could help improve the world, the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) aims to foster frontier research and apply those findings to achieve global impact. Rooted in core values of service, rigor, and innovation, BFI brings together researchers from the Booth School of Business, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, the Harris School of Public Policy, the Law School, and the entire University of Chicago Economics Community to leverage robust data, apply cutting-edge analytical tools, and uncover novel insights on the world’s most difficult economic problems. BFI then bridges the divide between academic researchers and relevant policy makers by translating and packaging rigorous research into accessible formats and proactively sharing those findings with decision-makers and thought leaders in business, government, and nonprofit institutions. In this way, BFI plays a significant role in addressing the most difficult challenges facing the global community.

Job Summary

The Senior Director of Global Communications is a key member of the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) executive leadership team, reporting to the Executive Director. This role manages a team or multiple teams of managers and professional staff responsible for planning, preparing and disseminating information designed to keep the public informed of the University’s perspectives, programs, and accomplishments. Develops and plans marketing, press relations, creative editorial and design services, and internal communications. In coordination with BFI leadership and supported by a highly talented staff, the Senior Director is responsible for both internal and external communications, including:

• Communicating Chicago Economics research insights to key external stakeholders, including the media, decision-makers and thought leaders in business, government, and nonprofit institutions.
• Communicating BFI programming, resources, and other news with the University of Chicago leadership, academic community, and alumni.
• Advancing BFI’s national and global visibility, reputation, and prestige with external audiences in support of the Institute’s strategic initiatives and priorities.
• Developing an outreach program to engage leaders and partners around the world who can benefit from the Institute’s research discoveries and intellectual capital.
• Making faculty research accessible to external audiences using various communication vehicles, such as events, direct engagement, and legacy, digital and social media.

Responsibilities

• Strategy/Vision – works as part of the BFI leadership team on overall strategy, goals, and vision for the institute.
• Research Translation/Producing Outreach Materials – with the support of BFI’s Senior Economic Writer, works with UChicago scholars to create policy-relevant and accessible summary documents to accompany research, such as policy briefs, op-eds, blogs, testimony, speeches, video clips and podcasts, etc. This involves developing relationships and working closely with University of Chicago economists to understand their research and to identify the most effective and appropriate ways to communicate their research.
• Research Dissemination/Media Outreach – leads strategic outreach to media regarding BFI research and, as appropriate, other UChicago economics research. This includes the development and cultivation of media relationships, particularly among national economic reporters, as well as maintaining and growing BFI’s working paper series. Also serves as primary liaison to communications staff throughout UChicago to coordinate BFI’s work with other relevant offices.
• External Stakeholder and Policy Outreach – in coordination with BFI leadership and external advisers, creates and builds opportunities for BFI to routinely engage with US and global economic policymakers and policy-relevant institutions. This will include, but not be limited to: direct policy engagement which includes Capitol Hill and Administration visits, round-tables with media outlets, Capitol Hill briefings and/or other public events; NGOs; the private sector; and new opportunities for internships in economic policy for UChicago students.
• Communications – with the support of communications staff, manages/leverages all BFI communications and communications assets for both internal and external audiences, including BFI websites, social media, newsletters, programming announcements (events, awards, etc.) and more. This includes oversight of the BFI editorial calendar and quality control over all BFI content.
• Events – in coordination with BFI’s Executive Director and with the support of the events team, leads execution of BFI events, both internal (research conferences) and external (high-profile public events on policy-relevant topics). Working with the BFI communications staff, oversees event marketing such as event pages on website, event announcements, call for papers, etc.
• Management – directly leads three distinct teams: Communications, Events, and Digital Media – each led by a dedicated manager. Provides strategic oversight for professionals across web/social media, communications, design, and event planning. Engages with and directs multiple external consultants and advisers as needed. Manages the budgets for all three teams, partnering with the Finance team on invoicing, expense tracking, and forecasting.
• Implements innovative strategies in managing media interface, including publications, planning and organizing media coverage for major events, and responding to requests on sensitive or controversial issues. Proactively engages in ‘news of the day’ to frame and distribute important announcements and updates.
• Oversees the writing, preparation, and/or delivery of information from or about the unit. Is accountable for maintaining the unit’s goals and communications strategy in publications, announcements, and speeches.
• Develops and manages the communications budget.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:
—

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, public relations, marketing, economics, English or a related field.
• Graduate degree.

Experience:

• 10-15 years working in an economic research/policy communications environment in a leadership role.
• Significant management experience.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with academic researchers.
• Background with common web/communications tools and software platforms.

Preferred Competencies

• Demonstrated ability to influence a diverse group of people to meet goals and deadlines, build and manage teams, and work collaboratively with senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to develop relationships with multiple stakeholders.
• Capability to understand complex research and identify the best way to communicate said research to a variety of different audiences.
• Comfort and experience working with members of the media.
  Handle multiple tasks and assignments simultaneously.
• Handle multiple tasks and assignments simultaneously.
• Creativity and think outside-the-box.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Work independently with a high degree of initiative.
• Work as a member of a team.
• Attention to detail with excellent organizational skills.
• Set priorities and meet deadlines.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Summary

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) is seeking to hire a full-time Research Professional to work with Professor Alex Torgovitsky on ongoing and new research projects related to theoretical and applied econometrics with a focus on causal inference. Applicants must have completed a Bachelors degree by June 2026 and available to begin work in Summer 2026. The Research Professional’s responsibilities will span all stages of research, including collecting data in both tabular and spatial formats, developing algorithms that clean and organize data, conducting statistical analyses, running simulations, and preparing manuscripts and presentations.

The program is intended to serve as a bridge between college and graduate school for students interested in empirical economics. Applicants must have strong quantitative and programming skills. Candidates with research experience are strongly preferred, especially those with experience in Stata, R, Python or Matlab. The ideal candidate would work for BFI for one or two years before applying to graduate school in economics or another quantitative social science. BFI offers competitive salary and employee benefits.

Unit-Specific Responsibilities

• Implement new and existing statistical procedures in R, Python, and/or Julia
• Conduct literature reviews and identify new data sources
• Analyze data
• Editing tasks
• Other duties as assigned

Unit-preferred Competencies

• Prior coursework in math, statistics and econometrics required
• Attention to detail is highly valued
• Advanced familiarity with R, Python, or Julia is ideal. Although previous experience with any specific language is not essential, familiarity with at least one language is encouraged.
• Ability to work independently
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
• Strong academic writing and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, computer sciences, engineering, or related STEM fields is highly desirable.

Experience

• Relevant research experience as a research assistant.

Technical Skills or Knowledge

• Knowledge of R, Python and/or Julia, preferred
• Knowledge of LaTeX

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• Writing Sample (required)
• Transcripts (unofficial is acceptable) (required)
• Two Professional References (required)

About the Department

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics aims to foster frontier research and apply those findings to achieve global impact. BFI brings together researchers from the Booth School of Business, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, the Harris School of Public Policy, the Law School, and the entire University of Chicago Economics Community to leverage robust data, apply cutting-edge analytical tools, and uncover novel insights on the world’s most difficult economic problems. BFI then bridges the divide between academic researchers and relevant policy makers by translating and packaging rigorous research into accessible formats and proactively sharing those findings with decision-makers and thought leaders in business, government and nonprofit institutions. In this way, BFI has the potential to play a significant role in meeting the most difficult challenges facing the global community.

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

The Chicago Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC) anticipates hiring a Research Administrator for their branch lab located on the University of Chicago campus. The Chicago FSRDC UChicago branch provides qualified researchers, with approved projects, the opportunity to perform statistical analyses using confidential/restricted-use microdata from the U.S. Census Bureau and other Federal Agencies. The Administrator responsibilities include (though not limited to):

• Working with researchers on proposal development and project management,
• Ensuring that proposals and projects are properly documented in management and tracking systems,
• Implementing Census Bureau’s policies and procedures concerning data stewardship,
• Participating in network-wide activities that advance the growth and development of the overall FSRDC program,
• Maintaining an active research agenda, and
• Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the FSRDC UChicago branch lab.

The Chicago FSRDC UChicago branch lab is located on the campus of the University of Chicago in Saieh Hall for Economics under the oversight of the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics, which is a rigorous academic/research environment. The position is expected to start fall 2025, with some flexibility and subject to Federal hiring processes. Due to the Federal hiring process, only U.S. Citizens are eligible for this role.

Qualified candidates should have a graduate degree (Masters or Ph.D.) in an empirical (data-driven) social science discipline such as economics, sociology, demography, or applied statistics. Strong writing, communication, and organization skills are a must. Candidates must also demonstrate the ability to coordinate and manage multiple projects, tasks, and deadlines.

The Chicago FSRDC UChicago branch is currently conducting preliminary recruiting for the position. Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume/C.V., at least three professional references, and a sample of professional writing. Candidates will also be required to undergo the formal Federal hiring process, as well as pass security clearance checks. The selected candidate will become an employee of the U.S. Census Bureau, which manages the FSRDC program.

More information about the FSRDC program is available here.

Questions regarding this position can be sent to bfiresearchsupport@uchicago.edu.