In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I formally organized the Lafayette College Gov Lab to provide remote, part-time, meaningful professional development opportunities to students suddenly unable to find summer internships. Since Summer 2020, I have continuously worked with a team of Lafayette researchers to develop original, student-driven projects.
Gov Lab students apply and interview for positions as they would any other internship positions, and I delegate many coordinating responsibilities to an EXCEL Scholar chosen to serve as Gov Lab manager.
Do I have to live in Easton over the summer/winter terms if I do this?
Nope! We will have regular, virtual meetings.
What is Gov Lab currently working on?
Our research topic varies based on student interest and progress made on existing projects. We are currently working on projects ranging from the role of poll workers in American democracy to public health conditions in Tanzania.
What kind of work would I actually do on a day-to-day basis?
We’ll work as a team to try to draft a publication-worthy scholarly article. Most students will help with data entry, data cleaning, and descriptive analyses. Nearly all students in Gov Lab work to help draft annotated bibliographies, interview relevant political actors, and analyze data in R.
Are there any requirements (skills, courses, etc.)?
Students in Gov Lab Leadership positions will usually need to have a basic understanding of quantitative methods and causal inference. Additional Gov Lab members will be selectively recruited. While I am particularly interested in students who have taken Political Analysis (GOVT275), our group does not have a GPA cutoff or require letters of recommendation. Most importantly, we are interested in assembling a diverse range of skill sets and perspectives to enhance the quality of our research.
Do students get paid to participate?
I typically have the resources to pay at least one EXCEL/Bergh Scholar who is also a project manager. I have been fortunate enough to receive generous funding from the Landis Center for a few additional paid research assistants in the past, but these positions are not guaranteed in the future. I work hard to find additional sources of funding, but the number of paid positions per project may depend on my success in applying for outside grants in the prior academic year.
Consequently, many students on the team are volunteers. Before you apply to Gov Lab, I recommend you look for something that pays you or will directly lead to a job out of college.
I’ve read all of this. I think I want to join the team. What next?
First, I’d sleep on it. For most of you, this is unpaid labor outside what is likely to be your future profession. Make sure this is the best option available to you right now before you dive in, and consider if you can consistently contribute a few hours per week to a project.
Still interested? Send me an email, and let’s set up a time to chat.