Research Assistant Intern

Overview

Join AIR as a Research Assistant Intern with our Education Statistics team. The mission of our team of experts is to provide statistical evidence that is meaningful, timely, accurate, and trustworthy. Our Education Statistics portfolio focuses on the development, collection, analysis, and communication of international, national, and state statistics. Our primary practice hubs are:

• Measurement and statistics in large-scale surveys
• Standards and assessment

Our Education Statistics team is driven by our mission to make the world a better, more equitable place.

 

AIR’s Internship Programs are designed to identify, attract, and hire the best collegiate talent that will drive creativity and innovation while enabling the organization to create a diverse and skilled talent pool. AIR's internship program provides interns with various learning and networking opportunities that enhance their skillset and build lasting professional connections.

 

The intern will support our Education Statistics portfolio. This portfolio focuses on the development, collection, analysis, and communication of international, national, and state statistics. Our team consists of experts with the mission to provide statistical evidence that is meaningful, timely, accurate, and trustworthy. The intern, with leadership from an AIR Senior Researcher, will work with data from a large-scale national assessment or national survey to answer a research question. Examples of data include the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), or Public Library Survey (PLS). The intern will create a research question, work with large data sets to determine variables to use and perform simple statistical analysis, and create a short research brief to share results. In addition, the intern will work with a project team to experience activities related to supporting a federal statistical center such as the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). 

 

Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations.This does not include U.S. territories. 

 

About AIR:

Established in 1946, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world. We advance evidence in the areas of education, health, the workforce, human services, and international development to create a better, more equitable world.

 

AIR’s commitment to diversity goes beyond legal compliance to its full integration in our strategy, operations, and work environment. At AIR, we define diversity broadly, considering everyone’s unique life and community experiences. We believe that embracing diverse perspectives, abilities/disabilities, racial/ethnic and cultural backgrounds, styles, ages, genders, gender identities and expressions, education backgrounds, and life stories drives innovation and employee engagement. Learn more about AIR's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy and hear from our staff by clicking here.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities for the position include:

 

The intern will be responsible for providing a short analysis of data, supported by a senior researcher. In addition, the intern may be asked to provide quality control for statistical products, conduct short literature reviews, prepare short analyses of data. The intern will be assigned an onboarding liaison and a project supervisor to guide work and support development and growth.

Qualifications

Education, Knowledge, and Experience:

• Must be a current student (for the duration of the internship) pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in such fields as economics, psychology, sociology, statistics, computer science, public policy, public health or other social science related fields.
• Experience with and / or knowledge of data collection and analysis methodologies and techniques, such as survey design, analysis of program administrative data, and conduct of structured interviews, observations, and focus groups
• Knowledgeable in using statistical software programs such as R, SPSS, or Stata to analyze data preferred, not required

Skills:

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy when writing
• Effective communicator that can work with individuals at all levels and from diverse backgrounds.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite or the equivalent (word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software)
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a virtual work