Research Fellow Postgraduate – Economics & Policy

This is a structured postgraduate research fellowship within the International Foundation for World Freedom (IFWF). While listed as a volunteer role for platform purposes, this position operates as a professional Fellowship with defined research outputs, mentorship, and publication opportunities.

About IFWF

The International Financial Wellbeing Foundation (IFWF) is a nonprofit research and policy organization dedicated to advancing financial inclusion, financial literacy, and economic integration for underserved communities in the U.S. and globally. IFWF operates at the intersection of research, policy design, and real-world implementation.

Role Overview

The Research Fellow (Postgraduate) is a structured, research-intensive fellowship for early-career economists, statisticians, and data scientists seeking real-world policy research experience.

Fellows work under the mentorship of senior economists and contribute to IFWF’s applied research agenda, including:

• financial literacy,
• immigrant and refugee economic integration,
• workforce development,
• economic access and inequality.

This role is designed as a career-launching fellowship, not a casual volunteer position.

Responsibilities

• Conduct applied economic and policy research.
• Develop literature reviews and research briefs.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data.
• Co-author reports, white papers, and policy notes.
• Contribute to IFWF’s Economic Research Library.
• Participate in internal research seminars and reviews.

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD (completed or near completion) in:
• Economics, Statistics, Public Policy, Data Science, or related fields.
• Strong analytical and writing skills.
• Familiarity with research methods (Stata, R, Python, Excel, etc. is a plus).
• Interest in public-interest economics and social impact.

What Fellows Gain

• Think-tank style research experience.
• Publication opportunities.
• Professional references and mentorship.
• Eligibility for promotion to Senior Economist Fellow.
• Potential pathway to funded research roles.