Predoctoral Fellow Opportunity Insights · Cambridge, MA 09/02/2026

Cambridge, MA Full Time Finance/Economics Posted 09/02/2026 Opportunity Insights (OI) at Harvard University is hiring several full-time predoctoral fellows to start in Summer 2027 to work with our research group and under the direction of Raj Chetty, John Friedman, and Nathan Hendren. OI is a nonpartisan research and policy institute focused on improving economic opportunity. Founded in 2018, OI has become a nationally and internationally recognized leader in the science of economic mobility and in the use of large administrative data to understand and address inequality. OI has published seminal work on national trends in upward mobility; racial disparities; the role of neighborhoods, social capital, credit, and higher education in upward mobility; and the use of private-sector data to understand disparate impacts in the recent economic recession and recovery. Much of the team’s ongoing research uses quasi-experimental methods to identify causal effects and test the predictions of economic and sociological models. Examples of current research projects include: long-term impacts of neighborhoods and place-based policies, the role of colleges and workforce training in upward mobility, and measuring how social networks affect mobility. OI’s work has shaped policy discussions at the national and local level, with nearly a dozen of its studies covered on the front pages of major media outlets, such as the New York Times, The Economist, The Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, and have been widely cited in policy discussions. Fellows will be based at Harvard or Brown Universities under the direction of Professors Chetty, Friedman, and Hendren. The fellowship will include a variety of tasks that provide preparation for graduate school or other industry research positions, such as analyzing data, developing statistical models, creating presentations, and editing research papers. In addition to working with OI faculty, predoctoral fellows frequently co-author papers with other students or faculty members. Fellows will interact regularly with professors and their collaborators – such as Stefanie DeLuca, Benny Goldman, Matthew Jackson, Larry Katz, Theresa Kuchler, Michael Stepner, and Johannes Stroebel – in a team-oriented lab environment, with regular lab meetings, seminars, and other events. Fellows also have the opportunity to support our research translation and policy work through such resources as the Opportunity Atlas, the Social Capital Atlas, and the Economic Tracker. Fellows are invited to participate in broader activities at Harvard and Brown, including seminars and courses. The program serves as an ideal bridge between college and graduate school for students interested in empirical economics. Most previous fellows have gone on to top Ph.D. programs. Salary and benefits are competitive with other top predoctoral fellowships. As an organization focused on economic mobility, we welcome applications from persons with varied backgrounds and perspectives. Even if applicants are uncertain whether their technical research skill or subject-matter knowledge will be competitive, we strongly encourage applications. Applicants should have completed a bachelor’s degree (or be on track to complete by July 2027) or master’s degree, have strong quantitative skills, and experience with empirical research methods. Candidates with research experience are strongly preferred, especially those with programming experience in Stata, SAS, R, and/or Python. Candidates need not be Economics majors, though they should have a strong interest in and some experience with Economics. Successful candidates have come from a variety of backgrounds (including from undergraduate and graduate programs, industry jobs, and other research assistant positions), and have a range of skill levels and experience with coding. Fellowships will begin around July 1, 2027. Fellows typical work at OI full-time for two years before starting graduate school in Economics or another social science or pursuing other related career paths. Note: Persons may only apply once during the 2026-2027 academic year. If you apply during the Fall 2026 hiring session and not selected, you will not be eligible to reapply until the 2027-2028 Academic Year (i.e., Fall 2027 or Spring 2028 hiring rounds). COMMITMENT TO NON-DISCRIMINATION Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard’s academic purposes. Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university’s non-discrimination policy. Harvard’s equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination. APPLICATION DEADLINE Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET. Opportunity Insights is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization based at Harvard University and directed by Raj Chetty, John Friedman, and Nathaniel Hendren. We conduct scientific research using “big data” on how to improve upward mobility and work collaboratively with local stakeholders to translate these research findings into policy change. We also train the next generation of social scientists and practitioners to improve opportunity for all. #J-18808-Ljbffr HBCUNetwork