CORNELL - MEASURE OF AMERICA
Summer 2024 Data and Research Internship
Measure of America (MOA) is seeking an undergraduate from Cornell University to work as a paid summer intern. The intern will assist in researching, writing, and producing papers, reports, and online tools. MOA is a New York City-based research center that provides easy-to-use yet methodologically sound tools that measure what matters for human well-being, freedom, and opportunity. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to participate in the development of future products, be an integral member of a small, dynamic team, and gain practical experience in translating data and research into accessible documents for non-academic audiences—while honing research and writing skills in the process. In addition to learning how to interpret and compile data on a broad range of health, education, and well-being statistics, previous interns have had the opportunity to publish blog posts, work on projects with community organizations, and collaborate with local journalists to help them measure what matters in their communities.
The time commitment is ten weeks (June through mid-August) for 32 hours per week. This position is hybrid-first; the MOA team works together three days a week (Tues-Thurs) in their Brooklyn Heights office (300 Cadman Plaza West, 11201). The summer intern is asked to spend at least one day a week in the office (Wednesday), with a preference for candidates that can spend three days in-person..
Description
The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization founded in 1923. Based in Brooklyn, NY, SSRC nurtures new generations of social scientists, fosters innovative research, and mobilizes necessary knowledge on important public issues. SSRC pursues its mission by working with practitioners, policymakers, and academic researchers in the social sciences, related professions, and the humanities and natural sciences. With partners around the world, they build interdisciplinary and international networks, link research to practice and policy, strengthen individual and institutional capacities for learning, and enhance public access to information.
Measure of America is an initiative of SSRC. Through this initiative, they seek to provide easy-to-use yet methodologically sound tools that measure what matters for human well-being, freedom, and opportunity. Through human development reports, thematic briefs, and interactive online maps and data visualization tools, MOA works with partners to breathe life into numbers, using data to create compelling narratives that foster understanding of inequalities and build support for people-centered policies.
Much of the work centers on the American Human Development Index, a supplement to GDP and other money metrics that tells the story of how ordinary Americans are faring. The Index, made up of health, education, and income indicators, is modeled after the United Nations Human Development Index, the global gold standard for measuring progress. MOA published the first-ever human development report for an affluent country in 2008, and has since released additional reports that explore well-being by state, congressional district, county, metro area, and census tract as well as by gender, race and ethnicity, and nativity.
Using this Human Development framework, Measure of America has also published state of the art data-tools that allow users to engage with statistical indicators at the national and local level. In the city of New York, DATA2GO.NYC, DATA2GOHEALTH.NYC, and OurHome.NYC showcase over 300 annually updated well-being indicators available at the smallest possible geographies. These free-to-use tools and MOA’s 2018 publication A Portrait of New York City have allowed countless community organizations and policymakers to make informed decisions about the issues impacting their neighborhoods.
Duties for this internship, to be performed under the supervision of program staff, include a diverse range of tasks, the exact mix of which will be determined based on the intern’s skills and interests. The chief areas of work are:
- participating in statistical research and data collection
- data cleaning and R coding
- conducting literature reviews on diverse topics in the social sciences and public policy
- writing short texts and possibly longer policy briefs that inform, and may be included in, published reports
- contributing to the project’s online communications efforts
Applicants must be advanced undergraduates in the social sciences, statistics, human rights, public policy, international affairs, public health, history, geography, or something similar and must have:
- demonstrated research skills, familiarity with principles of social scientific inquiry, and the ability to work with data
- statistical experience using either R, Excel, or other software for analysis
- declared a Minor in Inequality Studies with the Center for the Study of Inequality
- plans to complete at least one full-time semester of coursework towards their bachelor’s degree at Cornell following the summer experience
- a strong academic background and excellent writing skills
MOA provides a stipend of $900. CSI provides an additional stipend of up to $5,440, based on need. However, we do ask selected students to also apply for Cornell’s Student Assembly Summer Experience Grant to help cover costs associated with travel, lodging, etc.
Application Information
Please send a letter of interest, a resume (please list GPA and relevant courses), and one writing sample (maximum 5 pages) as a single PDF to: inequality@cornell.edu. Please include “MOA Intern Application 2024” in the subject field. Cornell’s Center for the Study of Inequality will screen applicants and direct finalists to SSRC for final selection.
Application Deadline
Friday, March 22, 2024
The Social Science Research Council Is An Equal Opportunity Employer.