Predoctoral Research Assistant

Job Title

Predoctoral Research Assistant

Agency

Texas A&M University

Department

Finance

Proposed Minimum Salary

$4,166.67 monthly

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

What We Want

We seek a highly motivated aspiring future PhD student with a strong interest in economics, finance, and related social sciences along with a desire to build a career in academic research. The ideal candidate is curious, analytical, and eager to learn, with the ability to carefully evaluate historical and legislative materials and synthesize findings into clear written work. They thrive in a collaborative research environment, pay close attention to detail, and are excited to develop the skills necessary for success in a doctoral program and research-focused career.

The Predoctoral Research Assistant will work directly with Dr. Andrew Fieldhouse (Adam C. Sinn '00 Department of Finance, Mays Business School, Texas A&M University) and Dr. Karel Mertens (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas) to build, verify, and document a new narrative dataset of postwar changes in federal R&D tax policy.

What You Need to Know

Salary: $4166.67/monthly.

Cover Letter & Resume: A cover letter and resume will assist us in our review of your application materials. These can be uploaded on the application under CV/Resume.  

Other Requirements and Factors:

• The Predoctoral Research Assistant is an 11-month appointment on a funded research project measuring the economic returns to federal investment in research and development.
• May have to work on weekends and/or after normal hours.
• Includes a funded research visit to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas; may travel as needed.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in economics or finance completed by the start date.
• No prior experience required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Programming and data management skills in Stata, Python, R, SAS, or MATLAB.
• Relevant coursework, such as econometrics, statistics, public economics, public finance, macroeconomics, innovation, or fiscal policy.
• Quantitative research experience.
• Research experience with primary source documents (e.g., legal, legislative, or archival/historical documents).
• Experience with LaTeX/Overleaf, copy editing, or bibliographic reference management.
• Interest in pursuing graduate study in economics or finance.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent writing and editing skills, including the ability to explain technical material in plain prose.
• Comfort reading dense primary source documents, including legislative and legal text.
• Working proficiency with Excel for assembling, cleaning, and documenting data series.
• Meticulous attention to detail, high ethical standards, and high tolerance for verification work.
• Willingness to learn and acquire new skills as needed.
• Consistency maintaining integrity and trust in all professional interactions.
• Exercise discretion and sound judgment when handling sensitive or confidential information.
• A proactive, can-do attitude with a creative approach to problem-solving.
• Ability to work independently and think critically, not just carry out instructions.
• Ability to work cooperatively with others.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

Essential Duties/Tasks

Narrative Dataset Construction

• Fact-check and verify a narrative record of postwar federal R&D tax policy changes against primary sources, including congressional committee reports, hearing transcripts, Joint Committee on Taxation documents, Treasury materials, and presidential statements
• Conduct archival and legislative research, and incorporate evidence from congressional hearings and JCT revenue estimates into the narrative record
• Help adjudicate the classification of each policy change as exogenous or endogenous to short-run macroeconomic conditions, working jointly with the Principal Investigator (Dr. Fieldhouse) and Co-Project Lead (Dr. Mertens)
• Assemble and maintain the supporting data series, and document all sources and coding decisions so the dataset is replicable

Writing and Analysis

• Rewrite narrative entries in clear, consistent prose
• Assist with drafting the introduction and methodology sections of the working paper
• Conduct targeted literature reviews and summarize related work
• Prepare tables, figures, and appendix material documenting the narrative record
• Support faculty with short-term research-related tasks. These may include, but are not limited to:
  • data retrieval,
  • literature reviews
  • paper editing

Who We Are 

Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School is a vibrant learning organization of more than 175 faculty members, 125 staff members, and 6,400 undergraduate and graduate students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing, and supply chain management. Mays Business School’s vision is building a better future through business. To fulfill this vision, our mission is developing leaders of character who make a positive difference in the communities where they live, work, and serve. 

Adam C. Sinn ’00 Department of Finance 

As one of the country’s top finance departments, our goal is to provide students with the theoretical and empirical tools necessary to achieve high levels of expertise in all areas of finance. Our graduates are well prepared to work in both private and public sectors.

Why Texas A&M University?

We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration.  Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you.  Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes.  

• Medical,prescription drug,dental,vision,life and AD&D,flexible spending accounts, and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums 

• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays  

• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month 

• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas

• Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time

• Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more  

• Educational release time and tuition assistance for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee 

• Living Well, a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees

Our Commitment

Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experience. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service. 

Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.  

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.