Research Associate: Centre for AI, Digital Public Infrastructure, and Digital Futures (CADF)
NCAER
Summary
As a Research Associate, you will support the Centre's research, policy analysis, and advisory work. The position is intended for early-career economists, quantitative researchers, and policy professionals interested in examining the economic and institutional implications of AI, DPI, and emerging digital technologies.
Job description
Position Overview
As a Research Associate, you will support the Centre's research, policy analysis, and advisory work. The position is intended for early-career economists, quantitative researchers, and policy professionals interested in examining the economic and institutional implications of AI, DPI, and emerging digital technologies.
The Research Associate will work closely with Fellows and senior researchers and contribute across the research lifecycle, from data collection and analysis to the preparation of research outputs and engagement with academic and policy partners.
Key Responsibilities
- Undertake quantitative and qualitative research on AI, DPI, digital transformation, and their economic and institutional implications.
- Collect, clean, manage, and analyse quantitative and qualitative data, including administrative, survey, firm-level, and high-frequency digital data.
- Prepare literature reviews, background notes, policy briefs, working papers, sectoral diagnostics, benchmarking exercises, comparative assessments, and presentations for academic and policy audiences.
- Support the Centre's proposed visiting scholars and non-resident fellows programmes, research grants programme, and collaborations with academic institutions, government, industry, and other research organisations.
- Assist in coordinating research projects, tracking deliverables, and organising consultations, workshops, and roundtables with government, industry, and academic stakeholders.
Qualifications, Experience, and Skills
- Master's degree in Economics, Public Policy, Statistics, Data Science, or a closely related field. Candidates with a Bachelor's degree and relevant work experience may also be considered.
- Preferably 1–3 years of relevant experience in economic research, public policy, consulting, data analysis, or a related field.
- Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including familiarity with one or more statistical or programming tools such as Stata, R, or Python.
- Ability to work with large datasets, interpret quantitative evidence, and apply appropriate research methods to economic and policy questions.
- Ability to analyse and interpret datasets, synthesise evidence from multiple sources, and translate research findings into clear policy insights.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present analytical and technical information clearly and succinctly.
- Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work collaboratively and manage multiple tasks under tight timelines.
- Familiarity with AI-enabled research and analytical tools, and the ability to use them effectively and responsibly in research workflows.
Desirable Attributes
- Knowledge of India's AI policy landscape, DPI ecosystem, and emerging technology governance debates.
- Experience with impact evaluation (including RCTs or field experiments), economic modelling, or cost-benefit analysis.
- Ability to communicate quantitative findings through data visualisation, dashboards, or interactive tools.
Requirements
- Master's degree in Economics, Public Policy, Statistics, Data Science, or a closely related field
- Candidates with a Bachelor's degree and relevant work experience may also be considered
- Preferably 1–3 years of relevant experience in economic research, public policy, consulting, data analysis, or a related field
- Strong quantitative and analytical skills
- Familiarity with one or more statistical or programming tools such as Stata, R, or Python
- Ability to work with large datasets and apply appropriate research methods
- Ability to synthesise evidence and translate research findings into policy insights
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
- Ability to work collaboratively and manage multiple tasks under tight timelines
- Familiarity with AI-enabled research and analytical tools
Company overview
The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) is India's oldest and largest independent, non-profit economic policy research institute, established in 1956 and headquartered in New Delhi. Founded as a public-private partnership with support from the Government of India, Tata Sons, and the Ford Foundation, NCAER has served as a premier think tank for over six decades, providing rigorous empirical research to inform public policy choices. The institute specializes in generating and analyzing evidence across seven thematic areas: national growth and macroeconomics, human development and data innovation, investor education, computable general equilibrium modeling, state-level sectoral analysis, trade and technology, and agriculture and rural development. NCAER is recognized globally as one of the few think tanks that combines rigorous policy analysis with deep primary data collection capabilities, particularly through large-scale household surveys such as the India Human Development Survey (IHDS). The institute regularly hosts flagship events including the India Policy Forum and the Neemrana Conference, and publishes the scholarly journal Margin. NCAER's Governing Body has historically included prominent figures such as former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and industrialist Ratan Tata, and is currently chaired by Nandan M. Nilekani.