Summer 2025 Paid Undergraduate Research Assistant (Remote)

Faculty Mentor: Christina Cottiero

Title: Assistant Professor

College: Social & Behavioral Science

School / Department: Political Science

Project description

I am seeking a diligent and reliable research assistant with strong attention to detail and willingness to communicate, but who need not have background in political science or economics (some background would be helpful, but not required).

This project is part of a research agenda on the activities of international organizations led by authoritarian (non-democratic) countries. The purpose of this Summer/Fall project is to collect and categorize new information for a dataset on project loans and grants made by international financial institutions with predominantly authoritarian member countries (e.g., the West African Development Bank or the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank).

Keywords: political science, economics, international studies, social science, politics, business, finance

Student Role: The student will be trained to examine spreadsheets of projects funded by these international organizations and apply my coding to categorize ‘prestige projects’ and 'high-profile infrastructure projects.' The student is expected to communicate updates on progress to me weekly, but exact hours/days of work are flexible. The job is fully remote--we will communicate via email and Zoom.

Project Duration: Project to start as soon as possible during Summer 2025 (may extend into early Fall). The student will be expected to work at least 17-18 hours per week for at least 6 weeks, ideally until required tasks are completed. The number of hours per week is negotiable.

Opportunity Type: Research Assistant

Opportunity Location Type: Remote

Is this a paid opportunity: Yes

Paid Description:

The student will be paid $16 per hour. The student will gain insight into data collection for social science research.

Minimum Requirements: Strong attention to detail and accuracy. Well-organized and responsible with time management. Consistent communicator who will take notes and raise questions about any ambiguous coding cases.

How To Apply: Contact Christina Cottiero, c.cottiero@utah.edu