Environmental Defense Fund

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

As part of a new initiative intended to further strengthen EDF’s thought leadership on environmental policy, OCE is implementing a Pre-Doctoral Internship program for the second year this summer. OCE will host a Ph.D. student in Economics at an EDF office over the summer to explore topical environmental policy issues, interact with experts to learn about the dimensions most relevant to policymakers and to identify critical research gaps and opportunities.

Topic Areas:

New mobility for achieving an environmentally friendly transportation sector(Based in the NYC office.)

Policy design to address global methane emissions from the oil and gas sector(Based in the NYC office.)

Human Capital and Productivity Benefits of Reduced Air pollution(Based in the NYC or DC office.)

Role of carbon pricing in the dynamics of transition to clean energy(Based in the Boston office.).


Responsibilities:

The specific deliverables expected of the fellow will be determined in conversation with the EDF host based on the fellow’s previous expertise and the specifics of the topic. Responsibilities may include:

Compile a literature review summarizing the most important contributions to date within the topic area
Connect with key OCE and other EDF staff as well as outside experts and stakeholders to identify the most important policy issues and related research questions in the relevant space
Potentially contribute to an expert workshop to hone in on the most valuable research questions
Outline, together with EDF and outside experts, a research agenda for themselves and the broader research community and identify critical research questions and the methods and data needed to answer them
Deliver a final presentation describing the lessons learned and the proposed research agenda
Develop in more detail an approach to answer one of the questions identified in the research agenda, including what data, methods, or tools the student could use Develop a research project that continues throughout the academic year

Qualifications:

Ph.D. student currently enrolled in a PhD program in Economics or closely related field - preferably in their first or second year
Motivated by a desire to do policy-relevant research
Excellent research and analytical skills
Willingness to take initiative
Ability to work independently, as well as with supervision
Excellent written and oral communication skills
Skilled at forming new relationships and interacting with experts from other disciplines
Ability to work with colleagues and partners of varied backgrounds and experience


For more information, please visit https://www.edf.org/jobs/pre-doctoral-economics-intern-0