2025 Lowe Institute Summer Research Program
The Lowe Institute provides part-time and full-time on-campus and remote opportunities for research assistants during the summer varying in duration from 4 to 10 weeks depending on the project. Students will work on faculty-supervised research projects. Students may be asked to present their research experience at the fall or spring meeting of the Lowe Institute Board of Governors.
Compensation:
Students are paid an hourly wage of $19 per hour, based on 40 hours per week. All Lowe Summer RAs are expected to work in the Lowe Institute lab in Bauer 314 at CMC, Monday through Friday for 40 hours per week. Periods of employment may vary between 4 and 10 weeks depending on student plans and the needs of the project. Students will also receive reimbursement stipends at the CMC Summer Housing rate. Please note that housing reimbursements are considered income by the IRS and subject to federal and state income tax withholding laws.
Summer Housing:
Students living on campus and working at least 20 hours per week for the Lowe Institute should secure summer housing through the Dean of Students Office. Summer campus housing is first come, first serve and space is limited. Please contact DOS for details. Off-campus housing will be reimbursed at the CMC Summer Housing rate, is paid as compensation to you, and therefore subject to income tax withholding.
Research Opportunities:
The Lowe Institute supports data-driven research in economics, political science, and public policy. The Lowe Institute sponsors several faculty-student research projects each year (click for examples). Beyond the Lowe Institute project offerings, students may take the initiative to reach out to faculty to inquire as to whether they have projects in need of summer RA support that align with the research goals of the Lowe Institute. If such a match is made and agreed to by the faculty, both faculty and students apply to the program, making note of their intent to work together.
Skills and Qualifications:
Skill with software and programming languages useful for data organization and analysis (e.g. Excel, Stata, R, Python) is highly valued but not strictly required. Completion of Econ 50 is expected. Completion of Econ 120 is extremely useful.
Applications:
Apply on Handshake. Your Handshake application should include: 1) resume, 2) cover letter, 3) unofficial transcript, and 4) 1-2-page analytical writing sample. This sample can be an excerpt from a previously submitted assignment. Please make sure all attached pdf documents to your application contain your first and last name.
Questions:
If you have questions about the Lowe Institute Summer Research Program, please contact Kelly Alexander, Lowe Institute Program Coordinator at [email protected].