Ohio State Lead​/Sr. Research Specialist

The Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) is a non-partisan research project at Princeton University that tracks and mitigates political violence in the United States. BDI is working for a future where thriving communities are prepared to respond in periods of risk, empowered to address long-term divides, and supported to build a pluralistic, multi-racial democracy.

We believe that BDI can help make this future a reality by achieving three strategic objectives:
1) producing action-oriented research to enable trend monitoring and early warning;
2) creating space for cross-sector collaboration to foster connections among pro-democracy stakeholders; and
3) building policy frameworks that equip community leaders and decision-makers with the tools they need to advance positive change. Since the project was first established in 2019, BDI has increased awareness and understanding of political violence risk in America, while driving effective interventions to reduce harm. BDI’s research, resources, and policy tools are essential components of the wider risk mitigation ecosystem working to protect our democracy and keep our communities safe.

BDI is based at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). For more information, please visit our website: bridging divides.princeton.edu.

BDI’s strategy consists of three core objectives, one of which is:
Creating Space for Cross-Sector Collaboration. This portfolio includes projects that focus on Convening Within and Between Sectors, Facilitating Early Action and Response, and Concierge Support to State-Level Violence Mitigation. BDI seeks a Senior Research Specialist/State Lead in Ohio to work in and across all of these projects.

This role focuses on the monitoring of political violence, the development of local/state-based partnerships and networks, and the support of state-based coalitions and coordination tables. This person will help to build out and further develop BDI’s state-based research and monitoring efforts. Key activities include: producing regular state-based Situation Reports (Sit Reps), issue briefs, and conducting ongoing conflict analysis. Research and monitoring efforts will support BDI’s state-based partners who might encounter instances of political violence in their work.

Collaboration with these partners ensures that BDI’s efforts are successfully integrated into the broader mitigation and resilience environment in the state. The SRS/State Lead will be a member of the BDI Collaborations Team – currently a six-person team of other state leads who work in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania– and will report to the State Lead Manager.

The outcome of this work is reliable and timely monitoring and early warning analysis products, which has proven an essential part of the U.S. early warning infrastructure. Regular reporting, timely issue briefs, and custom memos – drawing on data and collaboration with over a dozen monitoring partners – will provide reliable, trusted, and actionable information to help the entire early warning ecosystem get ahead of and respond to risk.

Work must be performed within the United States and is fully remote. This position must be based in Ohio. This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, 1-year term position with a possibility of extension.

• Develop state-based research, monitoring, and analysis around incidents of political violence, actors involved, and its connection to broader trends in the state. Understand and communicate the social, political, economic, and other impacts of a given conflict. As appropriate, contextualize trends over time by including quantitative analysis of longitudinal data.
• Build BDI’s…