Pre-Doctoral Fellow, CIDER; SC Johnson College of Business

Leading at the intersection of people, business, and technology, the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business is one of the most comprehensive business schools in the nation and includes many areas of expertise not found in any other leading institution. The college is comprised of the university’s three accredited business schools, each of which is recognized as among the best in higher education: the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, and the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration. Our academic research; industry and community engagement; and undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs all reflect the future of business: flexible, collaborative, and cross-disciplinary. The college community includes 232 research faculty, 46,000 alumni, and nearly 3,300 undergraduate, professional, and graduate students. The SC Johnson College of Business has an unparalleled resource base from which to draw-within the college, Cornell Tech in New York City, and Cornell University broadly.

The Opportunity

The Cornell Collaboration for International Development Economics Research (CIDER) Pre-doctoral Research Fellowship Program is a full-time, post-baccalaureate opportunity designed for individuals seeking preparation for doctoral study in Economics, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Development Studies, Public Policy, or related disciplines. Fellows work closely with Cornell faculty whose research focuses broadly on development economics, providing support for quantitative research and data analysis across a variety of ongoing projects. The CIDER faculty can be found at https://business.cornell.edu/centers/cider/. Depending on project needs, language skills, and individual interest, opportunities for field research may also be available. In addition to contributing to faculty-led research, fellows are encouraged to engage in the intellectual life of the university through seminars, workshops, brown-bag discussions, and cohort-based professional development. We expect to recruit multiple fellows as part of a cohort that will join continuing CIDER pre-doctoral fellows. This is a full-time, one-year term staff position based onsite in Ithaca, New York, with the possibility of renewal for up to two years based on performance and the availability of funding. This term appointment offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on research experience while preparing for future doctoral studies within a collaborative and academically rigorous environment.

AboutCIDER

CIDER is a cross-campus initiative at Cornell University encompassing 25 faculty from multiple units across the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. Cornell has a prominent brand name and a rich history of leadership in international development economics research and outreach, perhaps especially in the economics of poverty, food insecurity, and agricultural and rural development. Cornell was arguably the main academic incubator of Asia’s Green Revolution. The world’s main poverty and food insecurity measures were developed here. So were other key theories, measures and evidence around labor markets, nutrition, poverty traps, poverty-environment interactions, power, resilience, structural transformation, etc. Rigorous applied research to influence public and private decision makers globally is a part of Cornell’s role as “the land grant university to the world.”

Key Responsibilities :

Research Support

• Coordinate with faculty Principal Investigator(s) (PIs) and other members of the research team to assist in planning, designing, implementing, conducting, and analyzing research projects and associated data collection activities.
• Collect, clean, manage, and analyze secondary data to support faculty-led research initiatives.
• Work closely with PI(s) to develop and maintain code used to organize, structure, and analyze research data.
• Support the design, implementation, monitoring, and updating of research surveys.
• Liaise with partner organizations involved in research implementation and data collection efforts.
• Conduct literature reviews and synthesize findings to support ongoing research projects.
• Assist in the preparation of manuscripts for publication, conference presentations, and research talks.
• Support PI(s) in the preparation of grant and funding reports, Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions, and other research-related documentation.

Administrative Support

• Prepare materials and resources for programs, events, and initiatives as advised by the CIDER leadership team.
• Provide logistical and administrative support for CIDER events, including virtual and in-person training programs, workshops, and seminars.

Professional Development

• Participate in regular research seminar series and engage in the intellectual life of the university.
• Participate in professional development and training opportunities for research assistants offered through CIDER and other campus units, including Mann Library and the Cornell Center for Social Sciences.
• With mutual agreement between the pre-doctoral Fellow and supervising faculty PI(s), serve as a teaching assistant for a related course. Appropriate workload adjustments will be provided during the teaching assistantship period to ensure total effort does not exceed 100% FTE.

What We Need

For further consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter describing your research interests, relevant quantitative research experience and skills, and interest in pursuing doctoral study.

Applications received by October 15, 2026, will receive full consideration. Applications received after this date may be considered until the positions are filled.

• Bachelor's degree in economics, business, public policy, mathematics, statistics, or a related field with 2 to 4 years relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Previous coursework in econometrics and statistics and familiarity with statistical software such as Stata or R.
• Strong knowledge of economics research techniques and/or methods, manifest in coursework and/or prior research experience.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent professional verbal, written, and presentations skills.
• Ability to work well independently, as well as with others, and to meet deadlines.
• Ability to seek out, coordinate, and appropriately disseminate information.
• Experience working directly with people from various socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Experience incorporating the perspectives of multiple communities.

If you have all those things, great! We have a few more things that we would prefer you to have, but it’s ok if you don’t.

• Master’s degree in economics, business, public policy, mathematics, statistics, or a related field.
• Relevant research experience (e.g., a senior thesis).
• Experience with additional data analysis, programming, or GIS tools such as ArcGIS, Python, or SQL.
• Foreign language proficiency, especially in French, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, and/or Portuguese.

Rewards and Benefits

Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability.

• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.

• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell

• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell

• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: Total Rewards | Working at Cornell.

Those with F-1 OPT/STEM OPT can apply. No other visa sponsorship or relocation assistance is available for this position.

University Job Title:

Job Family:

Level:

Pay Rate Type:

Pay Range:

Remote Option Availability:

Company:

Contact Name:

Contact Email:

Job Titles and Pay Ranges:

Non-Union Positions

Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position

• Unique applicable skills

• Academic Discipline

To learn more about Cornell’s non-union staff job titles and pay ranges, see Career Navigator.

Union Positions

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined in accordance with the rates in the respective collective bargaining agreement. To learn more about Cornell’s union wages, see Union Pay Rates.

Current Employees:

If you currently work at Cornell University, please exit this website and log in to Workday using your Net ID and password. Select the Career icon on your Home dashboard to view jobs at Cornell.

Online Submission Guidelines:

Most positions at Cornell will require you to apply online and submit both a resume/CV and cover letter. You can upload documents either by “dragging and dropping” them into the dropbox or by using the “upload” icon on the application page. For more detailed instructions on how to apply to a job at Cornell, visit How We Hire on the HR website.

Employment Assistance:

For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email [email protected].

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell Office of Civil Rights at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at [email protected].

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing [email protected].

Notice to Applicants:

Please read the required Notice to Applicants statement by clicking here. This notice contains important information about applying for a position at Cornell as well as some of your rights and responsibilities as an applicant.

EEO Statement:

Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of “... any person ... any study.” No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.