How to apply for Student Research Assistant

About Forecasting Research Institute

The Forecasting Research Institute develops forecasting methods to improve decision-making. The team runs tournaments and experiments to test how well people can predict outcomes. This role gives students direct exposure to that research process.

About the role

You will support forecasting research by conducting literature reviews, turning complex topics into forecastable questions, and helping design and run forecasting tournaments and experiments. You will also collect and analyze data from those experiments. The work is part-time, remote, and about 10 hours per week at $20/hour.

A typical day

A typical day might involve reading papers for a literature review, drafting forecastable questions from that reading, and checking data from an ongoing tournament. You might also meet remotely with the team to discuss experiment design or analysis. The work is self-directed, so you set your own schedule within the 10-hour weekly commitment.

Who Forecasting Research Institute is looking for

• Current undergraduate or master's student who can work independently in a remote setting.
• Strong writing skills and the ability to distill complex topics into clear, forecastable questions.
• Quantitative interest and comfort with data analysis for experiment results.
• Self-directed and organized enough to manage a 10-hour-per-week contractor schedule with minimal supervision.

Tips for this application

• Show that you can turn a messy topic into a specific, forecastable question. Include one concrete example in your application.
• Mention any experience with literature reviews, data analysis, or experimental design. Even coursework counts.
• Confirm you are a current undergraduate or master's student, since this is a requirement for the contractor role.
• State your availability for about 10 hours per week and your ability to work remotely without close supervision.
• Apply early. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

What to cover in your cover letter

Explain how you would approach a literature review and distill it into forecastable questions. Describe any experience designing experiments or analyzing data. Show that you can write clearly and work independently. Confirm your student status and availability for 10 hours per week.

Research before applying

• Read the Forecasting Research Institute website to understand their forecasting methods and past projects.
• Look for any published tournaments, experiments, or papers from the institute.
• Search for public writing or talks by the team to understand how they frame forecastable questions.
• Check what tools or platforms they use for running forecasting tournaments, if mentioned publicly.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would turn a broad research topic into a set of forecastable questions.
• Your experience with literature reviews and how you decide what to include or exclude.
• How you have designed or run an experiment, even a class project.
• How you analyze data from a tournament or survey and what you look for.
• How you manage your time and stay self-directed in a remote, part-time role.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without showing any concrete example of turning a topic into a forecastable question.
• Ignoring the student requirement or the 10-hour-per-week contractor terms.
• Writing a generic cover letter that does not mention forecasting, tournaments, or literature reviews.