Learn more about how Inclusion Economics at Yale University engages with Yale students on our research.
Each semester, we hire interns to support our work; these internships provide an opportunity to learn about real-world challenges at the intersection of research and policy. Interns typically focus on either data analysis or communications, and come from a variety of majors, including Economics, Global Affairs, Political Science, Computer Science, and more.
Inclusion Economics Communications Internships allow students to develop their research, writing, and communications skills while interacting with a wide network of development economists. Our interns have the chance to write original articles about issues in international development and receive editorial coaching from our team. They also contribute to a wide array of communications efforts by gathering and synthesizing information to be used in grant applications, op-eds, and blog posts; drafting and designing Policy Briefs to be shared with decision-makers in low-income countries; and helping us expand the reach of our communications through social media, events, newsletters, and other efforts. The goal of the program is to get Yale students involved in international development and build their skills through hands-on collaboration – all while communicating research insights that can help policy create new opportunities and improve living conditions in low- and middle-income countries.
The purpose of the Tobin Research Assistantships (Tobin RAs) is to give undergraduates in economics at Yale an opportunity to learn about conducting research in economics by working as a research assistant for a professor. Tobin RAs begin in the Fall or Spring of each academic year and are renewable, upon mutual agreement of the professor and the research assistant, for up to one additional term. In each term, each Tobin RA requires approximately 10 hours of work per week for 12 weeks.
Herb Scarf Summer Research Opportunities in Economics is a program designed to give Yale students a chance to immerse themselves in ongoing research with their professors in the Department of Economics and other affiliated departments and professional schools. Scarf RAs will be required to work 160 hours on their faculty mentor’s research project from May to July (or other dates mutually agreed upon with the student’s faculty mentor) and participate in the supplemental research and social activities organized by the Program Directors.
Inclusion Economics is looking for students with strong statistics, data science, or computer science skills with an interest in applying these skills to development economics. Participants in the Data Science Research Assistantship program will be required to work a minimum of 10 hours of work per week.
Learn more and apply
Students will join our teams in India or Nepal for eight weeks to assist with on-the-ground development economic research within our portfolio (gender, political economy, and the environment). Our internships are ideal for candidates interested in learning more about applied economic research in fields ranging from development, labor, environmental, and/or gender economics, to political economy. The Inclusion Economics Summer Research Intern will contribute to the planning and implementation of primary data collection and related activities associated with applied development economics research (including surveys and programmatic interventions) in India and Nepal. This may include management and tracking of incoming data and basic data cleaning and analysis. Candidates may also be asked to conduct literature reviews, draft policy briefs and memos, provide support for the training of government partners, and/or provide support for additional research-linked activities.
I got exposure to all steps in the development economics research process, from sitting in on interviews with potential surveyors, to data cleaning, to research for a literature review, to communications and reports. There was an emphasis on getting the research results out to the people who can use them effectively.
– Bilal Moin ‘24
It was exciting to be there as it happened...The dashboard helped ministers and officials get a much better idea about where they needed to send resources to help migrant workers. Our work helped inform policymakers about what sorts of actions they needed to take.
– Michael Chang ’21
You can also reach out directly with your CV and a statement of interest to inclusion.economics@yale.edu.
Are you a student based in India or Nepal and want to get involved? Please reach out to those offices directly with your CV and a statement of interest: inclusion.economics.india@ifmr.ac.in or inclusion.economics.nepal@govlab.com.np.
Additionally, join the Salus Populi Foundation, a new student society where Yale undergraduates can engage with development economics faculty and research programs.
Due to the pandemic, many students' summer internship plans were canceled, including students whom Inclusion Economics at Yale University had identified to conduct in-person field internships in India that summer. Fortunately, we were able to instead offer remote opportunities to nine undergrads to work on a variety of projects, including new surveys on India's Covid-19 response.
Inclusion Economics at Yale University, based at the Economic Growth Center and the MacMillan Center and in collaboration with Inclusion Economics India Centre at IFMR and Inclusion Economics Nepal at Governance Lab, draws upon economics, political science, and related fields to conduct cutting-edge research to understand how policy can promote inclusive, accountable economies and societies. Our core research focuses on gender, labor economics and women’s economic opportunities; political economy and governance; and environmental economics. Throughout the research life cycle, we engage closely with policy counterparts to ensure we address questions of immediate relevance, and we regularly communicate data-driven insights with policy counterparts and the public. Yale Inclusion Economics (YIE) is led by Professor Rohini Pande, Henry J. Heinz II Professor of Economics and Director of the Economic Growth Center, and Dr. Charity Troyer Moore, Director of South Asia Economics Research at the MacMillan Center; YIE works closely with teams of researchers based at Yale and other universities.
