Internet Economy Research Fellowship (multiple positions available)

Job Title: Internet Economy Research Fellowship (multiple positions available)

Organization: The Internet Association's mission is to foster innovation, promote economic growth, and empower people through the free and open Internet. It is the only trade association that exclusively represents leading global internet companies on matters of public policy. The Internet creates unprecedented benefits for society, and as the voice of the world's leading Internet companies, we ensure stakeholders understand these benefits.

Role: The Internet Economy Research Fellowship Program is an initiative to provide young researchers the opportunity to produce cutting-edge analysis on the role of the Internet in the US and global economies. Fellows will work under the supervision of the Chief Economist of Internet Association and with input from Internet Association’s independent Research Advisory Group. Fellows will have the potential for unique access to representatives of the leading Internet companies in the world and are expected to provide significant research contributions with direct and timely relevance for policymakers, private sector leaders, and researchers.

2017 Topics of interest:

1)   Measuring the economic benefits of peer-to-peer platforms – There has been a dramatic rise in the volume and popularity of peer-to-peer (p2p) platforms over the past 5 to 10 years. While anecdotal research and a handful of quantitative research studies have developed measures on the contributions of specific platforms or types of platforms, robust methodologies and a universal perspective are lacking. In particular, apart from general participation (i.e. number of ride-share drivers), aggregate figures on the earnings, time utilization, social benefits, and other aspects have largely gone unmeasured. Internet Association seeks research proposals that would begin to measure these economic benefits.

2)   Valuing the benefits of instantaneous knowledge through user-generated content reviews – How do we value the efficiency gains of the internet? Government and other public data broadly fail to capture these ‘new’ aspects of the digital economy. One specific area of interest is how user-generated reviews have impacted the efficiency of consumers and the performance of businesses. From increased clientele to feedback systems to a more dynamic marketplace, Internet Association seeks proposals that examine what these benefits are, how they can be measured, and what their impacts have been.

3)   Scenarios for the role of autonomous vehicles in society – A 2016 OECD study determined that vehicular traffic in Lisbon could be reduced by 90% while maintaining the same volume of persons traveling/commuting through the use of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs). Internet Association and its members seek proposals to better understand how such an outcome could positively impact local economies (both generally and in specific case studies). Proposals that focus on scenarios examining how local governments could utilize surplus space and on developing cost-benefit analyses of AV introductions are particularly welcomed.

4)   Assessing the harms of fraud and the fraud industry – Utilizing online resources and data, Internet Association seeks proposals examining the world of fraud and fraud-related complaints. Analysis of fraud activities by type, geography and victim, estimations on the cost of fraud, and a review of policy solutions are particularly welcomed.

5)   Privacy issues – examining risks and assessing costs – data security and user privacy are sensitive areas for both businesses and individuals. Internet Association seeks proposals that examine the issue from an economic perspective. IA is open to a variety of perspectives from breaches, to encryption technology, consumer or business behavior.

6)   IA will also consider well-developed applications on any of the following policy priority areas: Patents, Net Neutrality, Trade, Immigration Reform, Privacy, Government Data Collection, Copyright, Data Security, Intermediary liability, Sharing Economy, Global Internet Governance

Fellowship terms:

-       A stipend award upon successful completion of the fellowship, contingent upon the completion of 1 fully drafted publication as well as meeting agreed upon intermediary deadlines during fellowship;

-       Duration of approximately 6 months, to begin August 2017 and be fully completed by January 2018;

-       Ability to work approximately 1 day per week (on average) for the full duration of the fellowship; fellows may plan their own schedule to work around other commitments

-       Ability to provide updates to Internet Association’s Chief Economist at least one time per month;

-       Ability to promptly answer emails, speak on the phone, and respond to requests when they arise;

-       Ability to conduct rigorous economic research independently;

-       Ability to potentially present research to Internet Association stakeholders and other interested parties (funding for travel and presentation costs available where appropriate)

Qualifications:

-       Must be a current or recently graduated PhD candidate in Economics, Political Science, Data Science, Business, Geography, Public Policy, Planning, or another policy related field;

-       Demonstrated ability to conduct research independently

-       Strong interest in the role of the Internet in the US and global economies

-       Research must be in relevant topic area of interest (please see topics list)

-       Ability to conduct applied empirical work

-       Ability to work under deadlines

-       Excellent oral and written communication skills

-       Creativity and entrepreneurial spirit

Education: Must be a PhD candidate (current or recently-graduated), a Post-Doctoral Researcher, or a professional researcher with a strong record of conducting high-quality research. The Fellowship is open to applicants who are able to work on part-time basis.