CID Research Fellow – Prof. Rema Hanna

CID research fellows work closely with faculty on specific research projects. Professor Rema Hanna’s current research topics include social protection, improving labor markets, increasing the efficiency of tax collection, and the intersection of urban mobility and climate change, with research settings in Indonesia, India, Morrocco, and other countries around the world. Our research methods focus on randomized evaluations and rigorous quasi-experimental designs, sometimes bringing in cutting-edge optimization methods from computer science and related fields to boost the potential impact of the solutions we test. We also work to synthesize the global body of evidence on the topics we study and close gaps between researchers and policymakers. Example projects include randomized experiments on expanding insurance coverage for informal workers in Indonesia; improving urban mobility through model-generated bus allocations, fare pricing, and private vehicle charges; outsourcing property tax assessments in India; and, in Morocco, public employment services, worker preferences for formal versus informal jobs, and coding education. These diverse projects are bound by the common threads of rigorous methods and high potential for real-world impact, and new projects form all the time as we work closely with policymakers to understand pressing issues and to develop and test solutions. 

Fellows come from diverse backgrounds and bring highly valued technical skillsets and cultural perspectives to our research teams. Fellows receive mentoring from faculty, work with cutting-edge topics and research methods, and participate in a broad range of activities at Harvard. They are welcomed as members of the Harvard community and receive salary, benefits, and access to an array of university resources. Fellows are among the best and the brightest of future researchers and practitioners in Economics, Public Policy, and related fields, and many go on to top PhD programs or pursue careers outside of academia, supporting and implementing evidence-based policy from a variety of organizations.   

Required 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Economics, Public Policy, International Development, or related field requiring substantial coursework in math and economics 

• Demonstrated academic excellence 

• Proficiency in Stata, working with large, complex datasets 

• Thorough understanding of randomized control trials and econometric methods 

• Strong English oral and written communication skills 

• Excellent command of Microsoft Office suite (Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)  

• Strong motivation, self-direction, and organizational skills 

• Enthusiasm for collaborating with a diverse team, including international colleagues 

• Willingness to travel internationally 

Preferred 

• Master’s degree with graduate-level coursework in Economics and Econometrics 

• Proficiency in R, Python, and/or Julia 

• Experience with survey design and implementation using Qualtrics 

• Experience using GitHub 

• Experience with remote computing servers 

• Experience with the responsible use of generative AI tools 

• Relevant research experience, including complex data processing and causal effects estimation  

• Familiarity with or interest in the academic literature on social protections, active labor market programs, financial inclusion, taxation, urban mobility, and related topics in development 

• Language skills in French, Arabic, or Indonesian are a plus, but certainly not required