Pre-Doctoral Research Fellow Position in Financial Economics

The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth invites applications for a pre-doctoral research fellow in financial economics. This full-time appointment starts in the summer of 2025 and will be over a period of up to two years. The individual will be working at the Boston Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC) located at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in Cambridge, MA.

The research fellow will collaborate with Professors Gordon Phillips and Franz Hinzen, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, on research that examines the rise of private capital markets and its implications for industry competition in the United States. We will examine the role of private equity in shaping market structures, a topic that has drawn the attention of U.S. antitrust regulators. Given the lack of public data on private firms, the research fellow will work with large, confidential data sets from the Census Bureau's FSRDC located at the NBER. The research fellow will contribute to highly relevant research for policymakers. The last pre-doctoral fellow who worked with Professor Phillips has entered the Stanford Ph.D. program in economics.

The research fellow will perform a wide spectrum of empirical research tasks. Research responsibilities will include the assembly, management, and analysis of data. This involves establishing new links between data from regulatory and from private sources, based on approximate company name string matches and location identifiers. The research fellow will develop code to analyze the data using regression and machine learning models, which may include large language models depending on prior experience and candidate interest. Additionally, the research fellow will gain exposure to best practices of data and code management to ensure research transparency and reproducibility.

A background in economics or finance is not required. All candidates who can demonstrate quantitative skills and coding proficiency are encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate for this position:

(1) holds, or is about to hold, an undergraduate or higher degree in a quantitative field such as economics, computer science, or physics.

(2) has a strong quantitative background with coursework in statistics, econometrics, or computer science.

(3) has strong coding skills and experience in using Python, Stata, or R for data analysis.

(4) solves problems independently.

(5) is highly motivated to do research in finance or economics and is considering pursuing a Ph.D.

The position is based in Cambridge, MA. Following security clearance, Census data can only be accessed from the Boston Census Research Data Center, which is located at the NBER. While the majority of the work will be performed at the Boston Census Research Data Center, there will be some flexibility to work remotely for tasks that do not require on-site access to Census data. Candidates are encouraged to allocate time in Hanover to participate in research seminars and conferences with Tuck's finance faculty. Flexibility to work from Hanover for limited periods is desirable. Work-related travel expenses between Boston and Hanover will be covered to support the candidate's ability to engage with Tuck's research community.

The research fellow will receive a competitive salary and benefits including health insurance and computing resources. This appointment is ideally suited as preparation for applicants who are considering pursuing a Ph.D. in Economics or Finance. The research fellow has the opportunity to benefit from valuable research experience and potential Census authorization to develop a competitive profile for Ph.D. programs. Research fellows who apply to Ph.D. programs will be supported in preparing their applications.

Security Clearance Requirement

The research fellow will access Census data under an approved Census FSRDC project sponsored by Gordon Phillips. Due to the highly sensitive nature of the data involved, additions to the project must be authorized which is subject to security clearance. The research fellow must be able, and will be expected, to go through the Census application and security clearance process. At time of application for security clearance, the research fellow must live in the U.S. and must have been in the U.S. for three of the past five years. As the security clearance process can take several months, candidates who can initiate this process prior to the start date will be given preference.

Dartmouth is committed to academic excellence and encourages the open exchange of ideas within a culture of mutual respect. People with different backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives make the Dartmouth community diverse, which enhances academic excellence. Applicants should address in their cover letter how their research, teaching, service, and/or life experiences prepare them to advance Dartmouth's commitment to diversity in service of academic excellence.

To apply for this position, please submit your application to http://apply.interfolio.com/161533

Please include:

(1) Cover letter describing your motivation for this position, your programming abilities and prior coding experiences, and potential start date.

(2) Statement on the number of months lived in the U.S. or its territories of the past 54 months.

(3) C.V.

(4) Academic transcripts with GPA (unofficial transcripts accepted).

(5) Two reference contacts.

(6) [Optional] Coding sample with complete terminal output/logfile and graphs.

Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Applicants who are unable to satisfy the residency requirement for Census application and security clearance, to have lived in the U.S. or its territories for 36 out of the past 60 months as of the position start date are not eligible for this position. No application received after April 30, 2025, will be considered.