How to apply for Senior Researcher

About GiveWell

GiveWell is a nonprofit that researches cost-effective global health and poverty alleviation programs and directs donor money to them. It has grown from directing $1.5 million in 2010 to more than $400 million in 2025, and expects grantmaking to approach or exceed $1 billion this year. The research team is lean, so individual researchers have direct influence over large funding decisions.

About the role

Senior Researchers create and lead research agendas, answer complex questions about global health and poverty programs, and inform grantmaking decisions using evidence review, cost-effectiveness modeling, and judgment. The role sits close to decisions about hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Some Senior Researchers may later move into an equivalently-leveled Senior Program role.

A typical day

A typical day may involve reviewing evidence on a global health or poverty program, updating or building a cost-effectiveness model, and writing up a recommendation for GiveWell's grantmaking decisions. You would also spend time scoping new research questions and coordinating with a small research team. Exact routines and team structure are not described in the job details, so ask about them in interviews.

Who GiveWell is looking for

• Has a track record of leading ambitious research agendas and answering open-ended empirical questions with limited supervision.
• Can combine rigorous evidence review with cost-effectiveness modeling and clear written judgment.
• Is comfortable making and defending funding recommendations that affect hundreds of millions of dollars.
• Has strong quantitative skills and can communicate uncertainty and tradeoffs to donors and colleagues.

Tips for this application

• Read GiveWell's published research and cost-effectiveness models before applying, and refer to specific programs or analyses in your materials.
• Show examples of research you have led end-to-end, including how you scoped the question, chose methods, and reached a recommendation.
• Quantify your impact where possible, for example funding influenced, programs evaluated, or decisions your research changed.
• Address the remote US setup directly and explain how you manage independent research work without close in-person supervision.
• Note the disclaimer that 80,000 Hours' largest funder is Coefficient Giving, which works closely with GiveWell, and keep your application focused on GiveWell's own research and grantmaking.

What to cover in your cover letter

['A specific research agenda you would want to lead at GiveWell and why it fits its global health and well-being focus.', 'A concrete example of using evidence review plus cost-effectiveness modeling to make a funding or program recommendation.', 'How you handle judgment calls when evidence is mixed or incomplete, and how you communicate that to decision-makers.', 'Why you want to work in a lean research team with outsized influence on funding decisions rather than a larger, more layered organization.']

Research before applying

• GiveWell's published cost-effectiveness models and the programs it currently recommends, including why some programs were removed.
• GiveWell's grantmaking history and growth, from $1.5 million in 2010 to more than $400 million in 2025 and the expected approach to $1 billion this year.
• The relationship between GiveWell and Coefficient Giving, and the stated disclaimer about 80,000 Hours' largest funder.
• GiveWell's research principles and how it shares its work openly, so you can speak to how your approach fits.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk through a research project you led from question to recommendation, including methods and limitations.
• How would you assess the cost-effectiveness of a global health or poverty alleviation program with limited evidence?
• How do you decide when evidence is strong enough to recommend large-scale funding?
• Describe a time you changed your mind based on new evidence or feedback.
• How would you prioritize among several promising research questions given GiveWell's goal of directing hundreds of millions of dollars annually?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Writing a generic cover letter that does not mention GiveWell's research, cost-effectiveness models, or global health and poverty focus.
• Claiming research experience without showing how your work led to a specific decision or recommendation.
• Ignoring the remote US nature of the role or failing to explain how you work independently on long research agendas.