Apply now for the 2026-27 cohort of the Tobin Center / Economics Pre-Doctoral Fellows Program at Yale University (visa sponsorship available for international candidates)

Ednah Carrick June 12, 2026

0 361 3 minutes read

Closing Date: Rolling Basis

Apply now for the 2026-27 cohort of the Tobin Center / Economics Pre-Doctoral Fellows Program at Yale University (visa sponsorship available for international candidates)

Overview

The Tobin Center / Economics Pre-Doctoral Fellows Program at Yale University supports policy-relevant economics research by providing a high-quality education and training experience for individuals with bachelor’s or master’s degrees who are considering pursuing a Ph.D. in economics or a closely related discipline. The program works alongside other centers at Yale that support a broad range of data-intensive social science research.

Pre-Doctoral Fellows work for one to two years as full-time research trainees, supervised by one or more faculty mentors. Fellows also have the opportunity to engage in additional education and professional development activities, including taking for credit or auditing one course per semester, participating in a weekly professional development seminar, and attending department research seminars. All positions are based on campus, and most fellows work in common workspaces to foster camaraderie and peer learning.

The Economics Pre-Doctoral Fellows program is strengthened when a diversity of backgrounds, identities, viewpoints, and intellectual interests are represented. Yale encourages individuals from all backgrounds to apply and also encourages applicants to highlight how their past experience and current research interests will contribute to the strength of our program.

About the department

The Tobin Center for Economic Policy and the Yale Department of Economics are member institutions of Pathways to Research and Doctoral Careers (PREDOC), a consortium of universities and research institutions that aims to remove barriers to access to research and doctoral careers. To learn more about pre-doctoral positions and find additional opportunities, please visit predoc.org.

Yale University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives.

How to apply

To apply, please review the project descriptions and available positions listed below and complete the common application, which requests personal and educational background information, a ranking of prospective faculty supervisors, and a single PDF called “LastName_FirstName_Tobin_Predoc_Application” containing the following material in the order listed:

Cover letter describing your interest in the program and specific faculty projects, dates available, relevant experience (including your familiarity with programming languages and prior research experience), and the names, email addresses, and phone numbers for 2-3 references. You may also highlight any aspects of your academic preparation, professional experience, personal background, or life experience that would strengthen our program or help us fully evaluate your application;
Resume/CV;
Undergraduate transcript (unofficial is fine);
Graduate transcript (if applicable; unofficial is fine);
Writing sample (any length is fine);
Coding sample(s). One sample is sufficient. You may submit more than one sample, especially if applying to multiple positions with different programming language preferences. A link to your GitHub repository (or equivalent) is also acceptable.

Some faculty supervisors also request application materials directly (see Project Descriptions). In this case, please follow their instructions and also submit the common application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until positions have been filled. New positions may continue to be posted, and filled positions will be indicated. Short-listed applicants may be asked to complete a data or technical exercise and may be invited to interview.

Most positions will begin in July to coincide with a multi-day orientation and training, although other start dates may be negotiable. Positions last for one year with an option to renew for a second and final year by mutual agreement by the faculty supervisor(s) and the fellow. Salary will be competitive with similar programs at other institutions, and the position includes standard benefits such as health insurance. The University will sponsor visas for accepted international candidates (unless otherwise indicated in an individual project description).