Post-Doctoral Researcher

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Entrepreneurship and Regional Economic Development

Principal Investigators: Catherine Fazio (Boston University), Jorge Guzman (Columbia University), and Scott Stern (MIT)

Supported by the National Science Foundation (Award #2431773), we invite applications for a one-year Postdoctoral Research Associate position starting in July 2025. The ideal candidate would be interested in working within our team to advance the measurement and understanding of innovation-driven entrepreneurship across regions as part of the Startup Cartography Project (https://www.startupcartography.com/) , as well as to further  and receive feedback on their own research in this area.   The postdoc will involve both collaborative and independent work.

Position Overview:

The postdoc will play a key role in leading a data-driven initiative to develop an effective and replicable measurement approach for entrepreneurship across regions, including research to support insights for the NSF Engines program. This work involves two main components:

1. Startup Cartography Project (SCP) Enhancement:
   • Updating the SCP by acquiring new data up to 2024 from Secretary of State websites, as well as supplementary datasets incorporating information on patents, venture capital and firm-level outcomes.
   • Developing a "nowcasting" index that allows for dynamic updating of regional entrepreneurship indices as a potential tool for assessment of initiatives such as the NSF Engines program.
2. Academic Research and Collaboration:
   • Pursuing independent research in the economics of entrepreneurship with the aim of publishing in top-tier academic journals.
   • Collaborating with the PIs on research projects aligned with mutual interests, including evolution of regional entrepreneurship clusters, the changing geography and demography of entrepreneurship, and the impact of entrepreneurship on regional economic growth and performance.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Economics, Management, Entrepreneurship, Urban Planning, Data Science, or a related field must be completed by July 2025. 
• Demonstrated expertise in handling large datasets and translating data analysis into social science insights.
• Strong programming skills in Stata and Python, and familiarity with Linux environments.
• Demonstrated interest in regional economic development and the economics of innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application (visa sponsorship is not available).

Salary and Location:

• Compensation includes $80K salary plus competitive benefits provided through the NBER as well as a modest travel and discretionary research budget.
• This is a full-time position based at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) office in either Cambridge, MA, or New York City, NY.

Application Instructions:

Interested applicants should submit the following through the NBER application system:

• Cover Letter detailing your research interests and relevant experience.
• Job Market Paper
• Curriculum Vitae (C.V.).
• One Letter of Recommendation.

Application Deadline: December 15, 2024

For any inquiries, please contact:

• Jorge Guzman: jorge.guzman@columbia.edu

NBER strongly encourages applications from women, members of groups who are under-represented in the economics profession, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. 

The NBER is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability. The NBER will make reasonable accommodation for any disabled applicant, and will provide assistance to disabled applicants as needed during the application process.