Saieh Family Research Fellow

Saieh Family Research Fellows In Economics

The Becker Friedman Institute is seeking highly accomplished, early career researchers as Saieh Family Research Fellows in Economics. The position begins during the summer of 2026 and will be either a one- or two-year term of employment, depending on whether the Fellow accepts a full-time faculty position at the University. Drawing on the rich intellectual history of Chicago Economics, BFI is an international destination for intellectual exchange on economic analysis and policy.

The Institute nurtures connections and fosters new collaboration between economic scholars at Chicago and leading economists from around the world. Through its outreach programs, BFI enhances and deepens the impact that economic research at Chicago has on public policy and on the broader public debate on important economic and social issues. The Saieh Family Fellow will pursue research on leading edge themes in the study of economics.

The specific area of study will reflect the research interests of the candidate. As an integral part of the Institute's research activities, the candidate will be invited to organize academic conferences, host acclaimed scholars, and engage with the rich intellectual life of the University of Chicago. Saieh Family Fellows spend one or two years as an integral part of the BFI's research activities, free from teaching requirements.

They are free to pursue their own research and are invited to take advantage of the resources available at the BFI for organizing conferences, hosting visitors, and engaging with the rich intellectual life of the University of Chicago. While visiting Chicago, they are part of BFI's Saieh Family Research Fellows in Economics seminar series, which meets monthly. Additionally, it is expected that Saieh Family Fellows will attach themselves to one of the other seminar series on campus as a regular attendee and meeting with speakers.

Responsibilities include conducting and pursuing research on leading edge themes in the study of economics, engaging with the Chicago economics community in a variety of possible ways including organizing academic conferences, hosting acclaimed scholars, and actively participating in the rich intellectual life at the University of Chicago, spending one to two years as an integral part of the Becker Friedman Institute's research activities, helping lead the Saieh Family Research Fellows seminar series, which meets monthly, regularly attending and meeting with speakers from one of the University's other seminar series on campus, managing, planning, and evaluating regulatory elements of multiple or complex research projects for a designated department, program, or central unit, ensuring the identification, collection, and analysis of data that serve as a basis for outcome measurement of assigned research studies, providing expertise to researchers on compliance of research activities with institutional, state, and federal regulatory policies, procedures, directives and mandates, providing expertise to researchers and research support staff, overseeing activities related to data collection and analysis, and performing other related work as needed.

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in a related field and knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline. Preferred qualifications include a doctoral degree in economics or related field, or will obtain doctoral degree by start date, working knowledge writing peer-reviewed manuscripts, background preparing and presenting work at meetings, extensive knowledge in a relevant field of economics, sound research techniques and/or methods, work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously, excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, strong problem-solving and analytical skills, excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Application documents must include a resume/CV and must be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.