The Research Assistant program is a two-year commitment built for recent college graduates in economics, mathematics, statistics, finance, computer science and related fields. Research assistants sit in the Bank’s Department of Research, Policy, and Public Engagement and support the academic research and policy work of staff economists.
The department is organised into six teams — finance, macroeconomics, microeconomics, regional analysis, policy studies and policy communications. Each research assistant is assigned to one team and typically supports one or two economists, mixing time-critical analysis of incoming economic data for policy briefings with longer-horizon academic projects.
The Bank frames the role as preparation for doctoral study or a research career. Former research assistants have gone on to graduate degrees in economics, law, business and public policy, and to positions elsewhere in the Chicago Fed, the wider Federal Reserve System and the private sector.
Benefits & funding
- Salaried staff position with the Bank for a two-year term; the program pages do not publish a salary figure.
- Health, dental and vision insurance, commuter and health club benefits, and a 401(k) savings plan.
- Hybrid schedule: in person Tuesday through Thursday, working from home Monday and Friday. Schedules can be adjusted to accommodate university class attendance.
- Hands-on training in statistical and programming work — Stata and R are the most-used tools, with Matlab and Python also in regular use, alongside parallel computing techniques.
- Exposure to the full lifecycle of academic research, to forecasting and the policymaking process, and to writing for both technical and general audiences.
Eligibility
- A bachelor’s degree at minimum, with an emphasis on economics, mathematics or statistics; finance, computer science and related quantitative fields are also cited.
- Candidates holding a master’s degree are explicitly encouraged to apply.
- Demonstrated quantitative and analytical aptitude, plus proficiency with statistical and programming tools such as Stata, R, Matlab, Python and ArcGIS.
- Strong written communication and the ability to carry work forward independently.
- Applicants must be US citizens, US nationals, or US permanent residents who intend to apply for naturalization within six months of becoming eligible to do so. Research assistants are not eligible for visa sponsorship.
- Willingness to commit to the full two-year term.
- No age, gender or prior work-experience requirement is published.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Residence required
USA
Education required
Bachelor · Master
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Application process
- 1Watch the program page and the Chicago Fed careers site — the yearly application cycle begins in early September.
- 2Prepare a resume, a cover letter and an unofficial transcript.
- 3Arrange at least one letter of recommendation, submitted directly by the recommender.
- 4Apply through the Federal Reserve System careers portal reached from the Bank’s careers site.
Program timeline
yearly application cycle opens
Early September, each year
Two years from hire
length of the research assistant appointment
The Bank does not publish a closing date, interview dates or a start date on the program pages