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The Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals (IBEI) invites applications for Research Assistant positions to work in the research project “States, Nationalism, and the Relationship between Ethnic Diversity and Public Goods Provision (ETHNICGOODS)”, funded by the European Research Council (ERC). ETHNICGOODS studies the historical roots of the allegedly negative association between ethnic diversity and public services. In particular, it studies the historical processes that resulted in the current levels of diversity and provision of public goods.

We are seeking candidates at the post-graduate/pre-doctoral level with a background in political science, sociology, law, or international studies to begin in July 2022. Research assistants will contribute to the construction of a global nation-building dataset that seeks to map how nation-states manage diversity within their borders. Combining primary and secondary sources, each research assistant will code a specific set of countries by answering a questionnaire on constitutions, schooling systems, citizenship regulations, and linguistic and religious policies.

Candidates must have excellent research and analytical skills and be able both to contribute to collaborative research projects and work independently. Candidates should also have a strong interest in both gaining in-depth knowledge about particular countries and world regions (in particular Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa) and obtaining a global comparative perspective on state-minority relations. Experience in synthesizing primary and secondary sources as well as previous experience as a research assistant are an asset. We are particularly interested in candidates who can read French, Arabic, Russian, or Malay. In addition, fluency in English is essential, both orally and written.

Each research assistant requires to work at least 160 hours, to be completed within 3 months (July to September 2022) that can be arranged fully or partially remotely. Successful candidates do not need to be based in Barcelona. The monetary stipend is commensurate with that for similar positions at IBEI, and the contract is extendable, pending on project needs and performance. If offered the position, candidates are expected to attend a training workshop in Barcelona on July 4-5, 2022.

Applications must be submitted by June 13, 2022.

The application should be saved as one PDF document and sent to: castier@ibei.org (Cristina Astier, Project Manager, ETHNICGOODS). Applications should include:

• A motivation letter specifying first, either which world regions or countries are you interested in, and second, your experience, if any, as a research assistant (1 page).
• Current CV including the names of two referees.