Research Intern - Innovations, Data and Experimentations in Education - J-PAL Europe

The Innovation, Data and Experiments in Education Programme of J-PAL Europe is recruiting a Research Intern to contribute to its mission of promoting experimental research and evidence-informed policies in education in France. 

This internship is based at our offices at the Paris School of Economics (PSE). This is a full-time paid internship. You must be able to obtain an internship agreement (or convention de stage) from your university.

Internship supervision and training provided:

This internship in Project Coordination and Research conducted in the field of education will take place under the supervision of the IDEE Senior Research Associate. The intern will be in charge of supervising the pilot phase of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the impact of using an online tutor by students of 4th and 5th on learnings in mathematics in France. This RCT is the French arm of a multi-national RCT conducted by the OECD called the Power of Feedback and aiming to understand and evaluate the effectiveness of the Artificial Intelligence-supported mathematics module. 

By the end of the internship, the intern will have acquired hands-on experience in research in economics and in conducting RCTs and will have the opportunity to work directly with data.  

By being part of the IDEE program, the intern will also gain a better understanding of the education ecosystem in France, and its dynamics, including from a policymaker, researcher and practitioner perspective. The intern will also have the opportunity to acquire more experience and deepen its project management and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

The Research Intern will be an integral member of the IDEE team. Tasks will include the following:

• Project coordination : 
  • Participate in the recruitment of schools 
  • Monitor the overall implementation of the pilot under the supervision of the research associate
  • Support the delivery of trainings to teachers 
  • Participate in regular coordination meetings with OECD 
  • Prepare a data collection protocol in line with the data protection rules
• Research : 
  • Collect, clean and analyze data of the pilot 
  • Conduct quality checks during the pilot and report to team members
  • Ensure replicability of do files/ R scripts
  • Write a short brief describing the data
  • Draft the report of the pilot 
  • Participate in meetings with scientific advisors.

Qualifications

• Education: A degree in public policy, economics or educational sciences (psychology, sociology, etc.). Students who have begun Master’s-level study or who are undertaking a PhD are preferred. Training in empirical research methods would be an asset. Understanding of data privacy protocols is strongly desirable.
• Experience and interest: Strong interest in education research and public policy showcased through coursework, study abroad, or previous internship experience. An interest in Artificial Intelligence is welcomed.
• Software: Proficiency in statistical software (R or Stata) is required.
• Languages: Proficient level of oral and written French and English is mandatory.
• Openness: You are excited to learn and enthusiastic about research in economics of education.



Type of contract: 6 months internship

Location: Paris School of Economics, 48 boulevard Jourdan, 75014 Paris, France.