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The Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals (IBEI) invites applications for a research assistant position to join the research project “States, Nationalism, and the Relationship between Ethnic Diversity and Public Goods Provision” (ETHNICGOODS, Grant Agreement number 864333), funded by the European Research Council (ERC). ETHNICGOODS studies historical variations in nation-building—how nation-states manage diversity within their borders—, and their consequences for present-day ethnic diversity and development.

We are seeking candidates at a post-graduate/pre-doctoral level with advanced quantitative skills and a background in political science or sociology to begin in September 2024.

The research assistant will conduct statistical analyses in support of research papers written by the team. The analyses will draw on a novel global nation-building policies (NBP) dataset built at an earlier stage of the project. The research assistant will also contribute to the dissemination and communications strategy of the project.

Tasks will include:

• Construct an interactive web application (ShinyApp) using R
• Collaborate with the ETHNICGOODS team to implement data analyses of the data (cluster analysis, time-series cross-sectional analysis, hazard models)
• Produce descriptive statistics using the NBP dataset as well as other datasets to identify trends and patterns in data

Candidates must have a Master’s degree in political science, sociology or a related field. They must have excellent data analysis skills, including cluster analysis, and advanced knowledge of R. Familiarity with GIS, Python, and utilization of ShinyApp is also desirable. Knowledge of or willingness to learn Stata, cross-country time series analysis, and hazard models is a plus.

Other qualifications include excellent spoken and written English and strong organizational and communication skills, since the position requires a research assistant that is able to both work independently as well as contribute to a collaborative research project.

The position requires a time commitment of 15 hours/week for six months, starting in September 2024 (with the option of renewal for another six months). Successful candidate needs to be based in Barcelona. The monetary stipend is commensurate with that for similar positions at IBEI.

Review of applications will begin on June 3, 2024 and continue until the position is filled.

Interested candidates must complete the Application Form. It should include:

• Motivation Letter that provides information about relevant experience (1 page)
• Current CV including two references, at least one of which must be academic
• Master thesis or any other work that showcases relevant quantitative work done by the candidate

In case of doubts, you can contact Anna Lucia Pinto, Project Manager, ETHNICGOODS at: apinto@ibei.org.