Research Fellow (March - October 2025)

Job Description

Job Description

About Overdeck Family Foundation

Overdeck Family Foundation (“the Foundation”) was founded in 2011 to provide all children the opportunity to unlock their potential. The Foundation focuses on enhancing education through funding efforts in early childhood, hands-on STEM education, and K-9 programs, supporting both educators and student-centered learning environments. Our grantmaking and strategic support focus on unlocking innovation, evidence, and growth opportunities to accelerate key academic and socioemotional outcomes for all children.

At Overdeck Family Foundation, we achieve our impact by collaborating with rigor, fostering a culture of curiosity and learning, and living our core values to drive meaningful change. Visit for more information on our foundation, including our research repository.

The Research Fellow Position

Overdeck Family Foundation is seeking a Research Fellow to work with the Research & Impact Officer, Meghan McCormick, to support the Foundation’s evidence and research efforts. This role will contribute to activities including evidence reviews for prospective grantees, evidence summaries for funding recommendations, and targeted communication activities such as updating summaries of research funded by the Foundation. The position is ideally suited for advanced doctoral students or post-doctoral researchers in economics, public policy, sociology, applied psychology, or education, particularly those with expertise in econometrics and K-12 education.

What You’ll Help Us Do:

• Conduct evidence reviews to assess potential grantee organizations against the Foundation’s goals and priorities.

• Develop evidence summaries to support funding recommendations and presentations.

• Collaborate on updating and maintaining a repository of research studies funded by the Foundation.

• Support communications activities by creating clear, concise summaries of research findings.

Who You Are:

You are outcomes-driven. You are motivated by the Foundation’s mission to open doors for every child in the U.S. by measurably enhancing education both inside and outside the classroom.

You bring expertise in quantitative research. You have advanced training in research methodology (ex: experimental and quasi-experimental designs), knowledge of the federal ESSA evidence tiers, and experience conducting independent research.

You communicate effectively. Your ability to synthesize and clearly present complex research findings ensures your work drives understanding and decision-making.

You are independent and proactive. You excel at managing your tasks and producing high-quality outputs with minimal supervision.

You value collaboration. You’re a team player, open to feedback, and eager to work with internal colleagues to enhance the Foundation’s learning and impact.

What You’ve Done:

• Advanced doctoral coursework or a post-doctoral position in a relevant field.

• Expertise in econometrics, quantitative research methods, and K-12 education preferred.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and meet project deadlines.

Working at Overdeck Family Foundation

This fellowship opportunity will span from March to October 2025, with an estimated time commitment of 35-40 hours per month. Overdeck Family Foundation will offer the Research Fellow a competitive monthly retainer of $2,500, totaling $20,000 for the full engagement.

The role is fully remote though the Fellow will be welcome to join select meetings with the team in person at the Foundation’s New York City offices based on geographic proximity. The Research Fellow may perform duties as convenient though would be expected to be available to join occasional meetings or check-ins during the Foundation’s core working hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET).

How to Apply

Please complete the application form, which includes uploading the following materials:

• Resume/CV

• Example of Original Research: Submit an original research paper that you have led or co-led. This can be a working paper or a published paper.

• Example of a Literature Review: Share a literature review that you have led. This can be either published or unpublished.