Postdoctoral Research Fellow
The Growth Lab is currently seeking an early or late postdoctoral researcher to join its team. The Growth Lab is an academic research program housed at the Harvard Kennedy School that consists of a dynamic, cross-disciplinary group of researchers who work to understand economic growth and structural transformation from the perspective that these phenomena are functions of the acquisition and diffusion of productive capabilities. This has led to questions such as: What are natural development paths for countries and regions? What are the vectors along which technologies diffuse throughout the national or global economy? What is the role of cities therein? How does complex knowledge get organized to produce sophisticated products? What are the roles of occupation, skills, and education in this process?
The Growth Lab approaches these questions in team-based efforts, bringing together an interdisciplinary team of researchers with backgrounds in economics, economic geography, mathematics, physics, computer science, and related fields. Its team of postdoctoral researchers, research fellows, and visiting scholars aims to produce high-quality academic papers that are typically team-based, cross-disciplinary, and multi-authored. Topics range from regional and international growth and innovation, to the workings of urban economies, the role of human capital and knowhow in development and the role of FDI and migration in the diffusion of knowhow.
The Growth Lab aims to apply the understanding gained from this research agenda in real-world engagements (for current examples, see here). The postdoctoral researcher will be given the opportunity to participate in these policy-oriented engagements.
Responsibilities
- Conduct research related to the Growth Lab’s research agenda in collaboration with the other members of the Growth Lab, intended for publication in top-ranking academic journals.
- Comment on, discuss, and support research conducted by other members of the Growth Lab and its visiting scholars.
- Attend and help organize weekly seminars, research meetings, and other research-related activities.
- Collaborate with, participate in, and advance the Growth Lab’s policy-oriented teams to translate research findings into policy actions.
- Take initiative in shaping the research agenda and finishing the outcomes.
- Help write research proposals and reports to funding agencies.
- Help the Growth Lab reach out to the wider academic and policy community by presenting research results at international, national, and local workshops, conferences, and other meetings.
Requirements
- PhD in Economics, Business, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Data Science, or related disciplines
- Strong interest in one of these areas:
- Urban Economics and Cities. Preferably with a strong microeconomic theory background (particularly in topics such as agglomeration, externalities, housing supply/demand) or strong urban economic modeling experience (e.g., monocentric city, spatial equilibrium).Innovation and Scientific Progress.
- Human capital formation and economic growth. Preferably, previous work on jobs, skills, or education.
- Familiarity and affinity with the Growth Lab’s work on economic complexity.
- Advanced quantitative methods & econometrics, and ability to use Stata, Python, GIS, Matlab, R, or other data analysis software.
- Ability and comfort to work with large and/or unstructured data.
- Fluency and excellent communication skills in English, including the ability to present research and recommendations to senior officials, policymakers, and researchers.
- Proven ability to write academic papers and reports.
Specific Assignment
The postdoctoral researcher position is a one-year assignment (with a possibility of extension) that focuses on innovation, cities, skills, and scientific progress. To this end, the candidate will gather, harmonize, and analyze relevant data in collaboration with a cross-disciplinary team composed of other members of the Growth Lab. The project is expected to involve the use of natural language processing and machine learning tools.
How to Apply
Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until January 15th, 2026. To apply, please share your CV, a cover letter, and a writing sample (paper or article on a related research topic). Three reference letters are also required and should be sent separately by the writers to growthlab@hks.harvard.edu.
The Growth Lab is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.