DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Project:  This project studies how Colombia’s civil war has shaped people’s lives and local politics, not only through violence but also through longer-term social and political change. Armed groups—guerrillas, paramilitaries, and criminal organizations—often acted as more than just violent actors; in many places they behaved like local authorities, allies, or economic partners. These roles can leave deep marks on communities that last long after the fighting ends. 

We use original data collected in conflict-affected areas across Colombia, including surveys, focus groups, and interviews with residents. These materials show how people understand the war, how they see its legacies today, and how local democracy and governance work in their communities. We analyze the qualitative data (interviews and focus groups) using NVivo, a software for organizing and studying text and audio. 

The project asks questions such as: How do wartime experiences affect people’s opportunities, well-being, and political views? How do past interactions with armed groups shape local politics today? How do communities make sense of the conflict’s legacies in everyday life? 

Position & time commitment:  

Each Farrell Fellow will work about 20 hours per week over the summer. The position can be fully remote. 

The Fellow will: 

• Use NVivo to read, code, and analyze interview and focus group transcripts in Spanish.  
• Identify key passages that speak to our research questions.  
• Write short reflections on what the evidence suggests about the legacies of civil war.  
• Help with literature reviews and annotated bibliographies, using Zotero to organize sources.  
• Time-permitting, help draft sections of reports or academic papers and learn basic LaTeX for academic writing. 

Research Training & Outcomes 

The Fellow participating in this project will gain: 

• Learn about Colombia’s armed conflict and its long-term impact on people and local politics.  
• Gain hands-on experience with qualitative research, including coding and interpreting interview data in NVivo.  
• Build skills in doing literature reviews, writing annotated bibliographies, and managing sources in Zotero.  
• Get exposure to academic writing and to LaTeX as a tool for preparing research reports and papers. 

 Preferred Skills and Experience 

• Fluency in Spanish (required), since you will work with transcripts and possibly audio in Spanish.  
• Interest in topics such as civil conflict, political violence, post-conflict politics, human development, or local governance.  
• Previous experience with qualitative research is helpful but not necessary; training will be provided. 

Learn more about Professor Ana Arjona  | Apply Here

Project:  Meta-Reanalysis is a research design in which original study datasets are located, cleaned, standardized, and reanalyzed to answer common research questions across many settings. We are studying the following topics with this tool: propaganda, perspective taking, the effects of beliefs on correlated attitudes, and candidate choice conjoings  

Position & time commitment:  

The Fellow(s) would work 40 hours per week from July 15th through September 14th (eight weeks) for the Summer Quarter. For the Fall quarter, students would work 15 hours a week. The position can be fully remote. 

The Fellow will: 

•  Help with every step in the meta-reanalysis pipeline: locating eligible studies and their datasets
• Writing, cleaning and analysis code
• Assist with giving a synthetic characterization of the state of knowledge on a given experimental question 

Research Training & Outcomes 

The Fellow participating in this project will gain: 

•  The data munging specifics, project architecture and experimental analysis 
• You will also learn about how to make generalizable empirical claims in political science.

Preferred Skills and Experience 

•  Experimental design exposure
• Fluency in R, Tidyverse coding

Learn about Professor Alex Coppock  | Apply Here

Project:  Farrell Fellows on this project will contribute to several ongoing research initiatives on workers’ rights and economic inequality under the direction of Professor Galvin and the Workplace Justice Lab—a collaborative team of faculty, graduate students, attorneys, organizers, and former government officials that studies and partners with worker centers, unions, and government agencies.

Active projects in 2026–2027 include research on small business compliance with labor standards, distributed organizing models, working conditions for temp workers in Cook County, and wage theft and minimum wage enforcement. For example, Fellows may help analyze interviews from a Minneapolis pilot program that trained community bookkeepers in labor law to support I/BIPOC small businesses; contribute to research and case studies on worker center organizing strategies; or assist with analysis of a survey of temporary workers.

In addition to these projects, Fellows may also assist with Professor Galvin’s ongoing research on labor politics and policy. Tasks may include data collection and analysis, literature review, and drafting.

Position & time commitment:  

Fellows will contribute to multiple stages of active research projects. Responsibilities may include:

• Coding and analyzing interview transcripts and other qualitative materials
• Collecting, organizing, and analyzing quantitative data
• Conducting literature reviews and summarizing relevant research
• Drafting and editing sections of reports, case studies, or journal articles
• Organizing and maintaining research materials
• Participating in team meetings with WJL staff, community partners, and other collaborators

The exact mix of tasks will depend on project needs and the Fellow’s skills and interests.

Depending on the applicant pool and available funding, the position may be split between two Fellows. Fellows would work approximately 20 hours per week during the summer and 5–7 hours per week during the academic year. Work will be spread across Summer 2026, Fall 2026, Winter 2027, and Spring 2027, with some flexibility depending on project deadlines. Most work will be performed remotely over Zoom.

Research Training & Outcomes 

The Fellow participating in this project will gain: 

• Fellows will gain hands-on experience contributing to research with direct public relevance. They will work on projects that connect academic research to the real-world challenges facing workers, community organizations, and policymakers.
• Through this work, Fellows will build practical skills in qualitative and quantitative analysis, literature review, academic and public-facing writing, and collaborative research. They will also gain a better understanding of how rigorous research can support organizing, advocacy, and broader efforts toward workplace justice and systems change.

Preferred Skills and Experience 

•  The most important qualifications are curiosity about and commitment to workers’ rights, economic inequality, and social justice. Fellows should be detail-oriented, organized, and reliable, with the ability to stay on task and meet deadlines even when research work is repetitive or meticulous.
• Strong writing and organizational skills are important. Familiarity with qualitative or quantitative social science research methods is helpful, as is coursework in labor studies, public policy, sociology, economics, industrial relations, or related fields. Prior research experience is welcome but not required.

Learn more about Professor Daniel Galvin  | Apply Here

Project:  When people are equipped with shared information and structured discussion-guidance, can potentially difficult conversations with personally-close but ideologically-distant others lead to (i) a decrease in “political sectarian” attitudes, (ii) opinon change, and (iii) increased political engagement on an issue.

The project investigates these questions within the context of democratic norms and the rule of law. Participants take part in this program as pairs of discussion partners who know each other personally (friends/family)co-workers) and hold opposing partisan.

Position & time commitment:  

This position will be for the Summer and Fall quarter. This position can be remote

The Fellow will: 

•  Assist with coordinating logistics
• Assist with communicating with study participants

Research Training & Outcomes 

The Fellow participating in this project will gain: 

• Learning how to manage a large randomized controlled trial

Preferred Skills and Experience 

• Required a high level of general research-related skills:
  • Excellent attention to detail
  • Organization skills
  • Creative and pro-active problem-solving

Learn more about Professor Mary McGrath  | Apply Here

Project: This project examines how differences in health, especially chronic health conditions, shape political behavior and democratic representation. It starts from the idea that political participation is not only shaped by interest, information, or personal choice, but also by people’s physical well-being and the challenges they face in everyday life. 

The project focuses on chronic illness because poor health can limit the time, energy, and resources people have available for democratic participation, while also increasing the costs of political engagement. If these health-related differences are overlooked, important patterns in political behavior may be misunderstood or dismissed as matters of personal choice. The project also explores how these differences may affect how citizens understand one another and how well democracy represents people with varying health experiences. 

More broadly, this research asks how health shapes participation, representation, and inequality in politics. It contributes to ongoing debates about who participates in democracy, whose voices are heard, and what factors influence political engagement. 

Position & time commitment:  

The Fellow will assist with research on health and politics and will take part in several stages of the research process. Responsibilities may include: 

• Assisting with pre-registering analyses using OSF  
• Finding, reading, and summarizing relevant academic literature  
• Helping clean and organize data  
• Creating tables and figures  
• Supporting other parts of the research process as needed 

This position requires in-person meetings. Fellows will work approximately 5–10 hours per week for the full academic year. This position is not remote. 

Research Training & Outcomes 

The Fellow will gain a stronger understanding of how political science research is conducted, including how scholars move from research questions to hypotheses, data, and analysis. They will build critical thinking skills and gain deeper insight into political science and the social sciences more broadly. 

The Fellow will also develop transferable professional skills such as time management, project management, and communication. In addition, this project will provide experience asking thoughtful questions about data and theory in ways that often go beyond what is possible in a classroom setting. 

Preferred Skills and Experience 

•  Experience with STATA is preferred. Experience working with survey data is also helpful. Students who are interested in political behavior, public opinion, health, or inequality would be especially well suited for this project. 

Learn more about Professor Matt Pryor  | Apply Here

Project: This ongoing project examines how government privacy and secrecy affect the rule of law. Fellows will take part in hands-on research on topics such as Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemptions claimed on national security grounds, the use of offset payments by military contractors, and recent rule changes that sealed immigration court proceedings in the federal court database PACER. Another related project focuses on unlawful secrecy in Illinois state courts.

 The project also connects to broader research on immigration enforcement, government accountability, and access to information. Past Farrell Fellows have contributed to research on immigration judge misconduct, the unlawful deportation of U.S. citizens, and extremely low wages paid to people in immigration custody. This work has informed legal and policy debates, and some findings have received media attention. In one example, a federal jury found GEO guilty of minimum wage violations in a case based on research to which Farrell Fellows contributed.

 This is a good opportunity for students interested in law, public policy, government accountability, investigative research, or immigration. Fellows will contribute to research with real-world relevance while learning how legal and political institutions shape access to information.

Position & time commitment:  

This position can be remote. Summer hours will be approximately 20 hours per week for 10 weeks. During the academic year, Fellows will work approximately 10 hours per week for 30 weeks.

 The Fellow will:

•  File, track, and assist in litigating requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
• Conduct original legal research using academic legal databases
• Assist with ongoing research on privacy, secrecy, immigration, and government accountability 
• Depending on interest and project needs, potentially co-author research articles
• Learn and use research methods and tools such as data analysis, HTML, and website management
• Help develop and maintain research materials related to faculty-led projects 

 

Research Training & Outcomes 

The Fellow participating in this project will gain: 

• Fellows will gain direct exposure to civil litigation, congressional and executive branch policymaking, and research on government transparency and accountability. They will develop professional-level research and investigative skills, including experience with legal and policy databases and methods useful for graduate study, legal research, or investigative journalism.
• Depending on their interests, Fellows may also build skills in data analysis and visualization. More broadly, the position offers experience contributing to research that has public importance and real-world impact.

Preferred Skills and Experience 

•  Strong communication skills are important for this role. Fellows should be able to problem-solve, work independently, and remain persistent when trying to obtain information.
• Experience with HTML and Excel is helpful but can be learned on the job. Some experience with statistical analysis is preferred but not required. Students interested in law, public policy, investigative journalism, or government institutions may be especially well suited to this project.

Learn more about Professor Jacqueline Stevens  | Apply Here

Project:  This project examines how firms, workers, and communities respond to a changing clean energy industrial policy landscape in the United States. Its central question is: when the policy environment is uncertain, does industrial policy build support for the clean energy transition, or does it deepen resistance to it?

The research focuses on four connected areas. First, it studies how federal clean energy industrial policy responds to and reflects political pressure from organized interests. Second, it examines how firms mobilize to defend, expand, or scale back clean energy policies. Third, it asks whether clean energy investments create new groups of workers with a stake in the transition, and whether those workers become politically active. Fourth, it explores how communities understand the costs and benefits of clean energy manufacturing projects, especially when those projects are delayed, stalled, or canceled.

Together, these questions aim to better understand the political and social effects of clean energy investment in a time of uncertainty. The project will combine document collection, case study research, interview preparation, and data gathering on clean energy projects across the United States.

Position & time commitment:  

The Farrell Fellow will work during the Summer and Fall quarters. The position can be fully remote.

The Fellow will: 

• Collect and analyze newspaper articles, legislative documents, legal records, and Congressional floor and committee votes
• Gather relevant academic and policy literature and prepare annotated bibliographies
• Build contact lists for clean energy firms and assist with interview recruitment
• Collect data on IRA-funded clean energy projects that have been completed, stalled, or canceled
• Conduct background research for case studies
• Help draft survey instruments and interview questionnaires
• Assist with planning site visits for fieldwork
• The exact mix of tasks may vary depending on the Fellow’s interests and the project’s needs.

Research Training & Outcomes 

The Fellow participating in this project will gain: 

• The Fellow will gain hands-on experience with core social science research methods that are useful both inside and outside academia. This includes experience with data collection, literature review, case study research, and research design.

  The project will also help the Fellow strengthen their reading, writing, and data analysis skills, preparing them for independent research projects such as a senior thesis. In addition, the Fellow will gain a deeper understanding of the people, places, and industries involved in the clean energy transition in the United States.

Preferred Skills and Experience 

• Strong organizational skills are especially important for this project. Experience with Excel or Google Sheets, writing research memos, and using tools such as R, NVivo, or Zotero is helpful but not required. Familiarity with the U.S. government, public policy, or clean energy policy is a plus.

  Students who are detail-oriented, dependable, and interested in politics, public policy, energy, or environmental issues would be especially well suited for this role.

Learn more about Professor Elizabeth Thom  | Apply Here

Project:  This project examines how American news media has portrayed “swing voters” from the Obama era to today. During this period, the electorate has changed dramatically: the country has become more racially and ethnically diverse, and younger voters—especially Millennials and Gen Z—have grown in political influence. Yet media coverage often still focuses on a familiar image of swing voters as middle-aged white suburban moderates.

The project asks whether this media image reflects the realities of the contemporary electorate or lags behind demographic and political change. Research in political science shows that new kinds of swing constituencies are increasingly important, including younger voters across racial groups, parts of the Black electorate, and immigrant-origin Latino voters. By comparing media portrayals to this research, the project looks for systematic gaps between journalistic narratives and empirical evidence.

Farrell Fellows will help collect and code news articles and journalist-generated social media posts that reference swing voters. Using a structured coding protocol, students will identify how journalists define swing voters, which demographic groups are portrayed or quoted, and what locations and communities are featured. This work will give students hands-on training in content analysis and media research while contributing to a broader effort to understand how media narratives shape public perceptions of American elections

Position & time commitment:  

The Fellow will work during the Summer Quarter. The position can be fully remote.

The Fellow will:

• Help build a dataset of news coverage and journalist-produced social media content about swing voters, organizing materials in a shared database.
• Read and code media content using a structured coding protocol, recording how swing voters are defined, which demographic traits and communities are highlighted, and what narrative frames are used.
• Assist with basic data management (e.g., cleaning datasets, maintaining coding records, preparing simple summary tables or memos).
• Join regular project meetings to discuss progress, refine coding procedures, and talk through emerging patterns in the data.

Research Training & Outcomes 

The Fellow participating in this project will gain: 

• Fellows on this project will gain practical experience with the research process in political science, from refining research questions to collecting and analyzing original data. They will learn how broad theoretical ideas—such as how the media constructs categories like “swing voters”—are translated into systematic content analysis.
• Students will also deepen their understanding of U.S. elections and contemporary political change by comparing media portrayals of swing voters with demographic and political trends. The project is designed to build confidence as independent researchers while working as part of a team. The skills developed—careful reading, coding, data management, and critical thinking about media—will be valuable for senior theses, graduate study, and careers in areas such as policy, journalism, consulting, and political analysis.

Preferred Skills and Experience 

• Students with strong reading comprehension and clear, analytical writing will be especially well suited to this project. An interest in American politics, elections, voter behavior, or political communication is helpful. Prior experience with research methods or data collection is a plus but not required; training will be provided.
• Familiarity with spreadsheets or basic data tools (e.g., Excel or Google Sheets) will be useful for organizing and summarizing data. The ideal Fellow will be detail-oriented, reliable, and comfortable working independently while meeting deadlines. Students curious about how media narratives influence public understanding of American politics are especially encouraged to apply.

 

Learn more about Professor Al Tillery  | Apply Here