Opportunities

BRICK (Kiln) Project:  Research Assistant (Hourly) Job Announcement   11/28/23

The Luby Lab, a public health research laboratory at Stanford that seeks strategic knowledge to improve health in communities, seeks an (hourly) research assistant (RA) to support the evaluation of an intervention aimed at implementing technical training on energy efficiency to reduce air pollution and coal consumption in 1,000 brick kilns in Bangladesh. Across South Asia, the brick manufacturing industry is dominated by inefficient kilns that generate enormous quantities of black carbon, carbon dioxide, and fine particulate matter. The pollution released by the brick industry impacts local air quality and health and agricultural productivity, as well as contributes to global climate change. The objective of this evaluation is to understand the effectiveness of this stage of the intervention and provide guidance for further scale-up.

The RA will work on data preparation, documentation, and analysis and will work closely with the research team. The RA will have exceptional data analysis, research, organization, and communications skills. The RA can be an Undergraduate or Graduate Student.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Data preparation and analysis:

• Clean, prepare, and organize survey data as it is collected from the field.
• Assess data quality, including identifying outliers and missing data.
• Identify systematic patterns in data, as they pertain to data quality.
• Write code for cleaning, preparation, and data quality checks in R (preferred, or Stata).
• Assist in conducting statistical analysis, including regression analysis, and preparing publication-ready tables.
• Assist in producing high-quality data visualizations and graphics.

Documentation:

• Prepare detailed, clear, well-annotated, and organized code.
• Create detailed logs of all data quality issues identified.

EXPERIENCE/SKILLS

• Hands on experience in R (preferred) or Stata is required.
• Experience working with real datasets is required.
• Exceptionally strong self-management and organizational skills 
• Detailed oriented and self-motivated.
• Ability to handle multiple projects at once, meet deadlines, and practice effective time management.
• Ability to manage assigned tasks effectively and proactively and deliver high quality work.
• Familiarity with statistical tools such as linear regression is required, and randomized controlled trials is preferred.
• Coursework in microeconomics, econometrics, and development economics is preferred.
• Prior work as a research assistant or in other programming/coding roles is preferred.

TIME:   10 hours per week.  

PAY:  Hourly rate in accordance with Stanford rates.

APPLY:  Please email Jill Mueller, mueller7@stanford.edu , as soon as possible with a CV and a statement of interest. The position starts when filled.

Sources of Funding:

Our team posts opportunities with the following sources, but if you are involved with research with the Lab, we will also work with you to try to find Stanford sources of funding for you. We may have volunteer opportunities for students with more limited time capacity or for work on class projects. 

* Stanford Undergraduate Student Research Grants (including Major grants, depending on Major)

* Stanford Earth Summer Undergraduate Research  (SESUR)

* Stanford CEE Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE) Summer Undergraduate Research Program

* Stanford CEE:  Summer Funding:  Graduate,  Undergraduate (SURF)

* Stanford CEE Graduate Financial Aid

* Stanford Department of Biology: Summer Undergraduate Research Program (B-SURP)

* Stanford Bio-X Undergraduate Summer Research Program (Stanford Bio-X USRP) 

* Stanford Summer Undergraduate Research in Geosciences & Engineering (SURGE)  (for non-Stanford students only)

* Stanford Woods Institute: Mentoring Undergraduates in Interdisciplinary Research (MUIR)

* Stanford Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI): Research and Travel Grants

* Stanford King Center on Global Development: Undergraduate RA Program and Field Research Program

* Stanford Center for South Asia (CSA)

* Stanford Office of International Affairs (OIA): Stanford On & Off-campus Learning Opportunities (SOLO)

* Stanford OIA: Stanford Seed Funding

* Stanford OIA: Faculty Funding