Predoc in Economics and Data Science
ETH Zurich
Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences
Applications are welcome in the area of Economics and Data Science for full-time on-site predoc positions at ETH Zurich.
The candidates would work with a group of researchers at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences that specializes in applied economics research using data science tools, in particular machine learning, natural language processing, and AI. The predoc will mainly work with Elliott Ash (ETH Zurich) and Benjamin Arold (Cambridge). We have active and ongoing collaborations and exchanges with the ETH AI Center, University of Zurich, Columbia University, MIT, Bocconi, LSE, and elsewhere. Our offices are located in downtown Zurich, and the working language is English. ETH Zurich (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) is a world-class research university, ranked 7th in the latest QS World University Rankings.
The ideal candidate has expertise in data management, econometric analysis (including causal inference and research design), machine learning, and natural language processing (including using LLMs). Mastery of both Stata and Python is essential. We are particularly interested in interdisciplinary candidates who have done social science analysis using both causal inference research design and unstructured data (especially text). Excellent English writing skills are essential. The hired candidate should be willing to invest in filling in any gaps in expertise before the start of the appointment.
Predocs are expected to:
· be involved in all steps of research, including project planning, research design, data analysis, preparing presentations, and writing manuscripts for submission to leading peer-reviewed journals.
· join international collaborations with other researchers in Switzerland and abroad.
· contribute to light organizational and teaching duties (a few hours per week).
Further detail:
· The successful candidate holds (or is close to completing) a Masters in Economics, Computer Science, or related field and intends to seek a PhD position at a top-ranked department in economics or adjacent field after completion of the predoc. Applicants should have a solid foundation in economics, statistics, and computing, strong references for previous research work, a good writing sample, and stellar GRE scores. The appointment is at least one year and up to three years (contingent on good performance). Salary starts at ~57K USD at current exchange rates.
The starting date is flexible starting March 1st, 2025.
To apply, kindly submit a CV (required), cover letter / research statement (required), writing sample (required), coding samples (required), test scores (optional), other supporting material if you wish (optional), and 1-2 rec letters (second one optional).
Yours sincerely,
Elliott Ash and Benjamin Arold