Overview:
Research Specialist II, posting number 2019-9783
The Department of Sociology at Princeton University seeks applicants for a full-time post-baccalaureate research assistant position in the Eviction Lab. Successful candidates will have a background in statistics, data science, economics, quantitative social science, and/or computer science. Funding is available for up to two years and the position is expected to begin in June 2019.
The Eviction Lab at Princeton University is an interdisciplinary and multi-generational research team who has built the first-ever national database of evictions in America. We have validated, mapped, and published our data through an interactive website. The Eviction Lab is currently working on a large number of studies on the prevalence, causes, and consequences of housing displacement.
Research assistants will have access to novel and very large datasets not publicly released. In the coming years, the Eviction Lab will begin several new initiatives, including a Joint Statistical Project with the U.S. Census, involving the merging of over 80 million eviction records with several administrative databases and an analysis of the restricted-use file of the American Housing Survey (2017), which will entail the first estimation of informal evictions in national perspective.
We seek self-driven, creative thinkers with strong quantitative skills to assist with research analysis and publication of research findings on housing instability, urban inequality, and public policy. Successful candidates must have previous experience managing and analyzing quantitative data using sophisticated statistical or computer programming techniques. Proficiency in R or Stata is required, previous experience with Python, ArcGIS, web scraping, accessing data through APIs, advanced data visualization, managing large datasets, or working with administrative data is a plus. Previous coursework in sociology, urban studies, or housing instability is not required but useful; an intellectual interest in applying rigorous data analysis techniques to real-world problems is essential. Research assistants will help collect, prepare, and validate data, conduct statistical analysis, and contribute to academic publications. Opportunities for coauthorship are available.
Salary is competitive and is benefits-eligible. Applicants should submit a dossier including: (1) a complete vita, (2) a cover letter of interest, (3) names and contact information of up to three persons who can serve as references, (4) a writing sample that includes quantitative analysis. All materials should be submitted as 1 continuous pdf. Materials submitted by regular mail or email will not be accepted.
For more details and to apply, please visit our website.
