Institute of Politics

Organization Overview: The University of Chicago Energy & Environment Lab (E&E Lab) partners with government agencies to identify, rigorously evaluate, and help scale programs and policies that reduce pollution and improve environmental outcomes, while ensuring access to reliable and affordable energy. The E&E Lab uses natural experiments, randomized control trials, behavioral economics, and machine learning to help policymakers identify and generate evidence around innovative approaches to their most pressing environmental and energy-related challenges. One of our key partners is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Together, we have developed new tools driven by machine learning models to modernize EPA's approach to inspection targeting and enforcement of environmental regulations.

Internship Summary: The intern will have the unique opportunity to collaborate with EPA staff and E&E Lab researchers to develop and implement research initiatives that address pressing environmental challenges faced by communities. This position offers a valuable learning experience at the intersection of applied data science and environmental policy, equipping the intern with a diverse skill set crucial for policy development and analysis. The intern will apply econometric and machine learning methodologies while coordinating across multiple teams, effectively bridging technical analysis with policy solutions.

Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development and implementation of research projects addressing environmental challenges
• Coding, review, and cleaning of data
• Data analytics, statistical analysis, and building econometric and machine learning models
• Project development and coordination
• Literature reviews
• Assist in writing, and editing reports and papers

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong interest in the environment
• Coding experience; knowledge of R, or Python strongly preferred
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to synthesize multiple sources
• Strong initiative and a resourceful approach to problem-solving and learning
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Detail-oriented and self-motivated

About the Supervisor: Your supervisor will be Olga Rostapshova; however, the intern will work closely with other UChicago researchers and EPA staff, and will be part of a cohort of interns and an internship program.

Eligibility:

• Domestic and International students
• Undergraduate and graduate students

Location, Modality and Commute:

• Our team works primarily in person at two locations: 1) Hyde Park on-campus office (Searle Hall), and 2) downtown office (222 S Riverside plaza, Chicago IL 60606)

Start and End Date: The summer internship will take place according to the IOP’s timeline (June 8 - September 25), with specific dates and weekly hours to be determined by the employer partner and intern.

Required Materials:

• Resume
• Cover Letter