Opportunities

Opportunities in Research

There are rich and diverse opportunities for academic research at the National Center for Children and Families, including the following programs:

Center Graduate Fellowships
Teachers College doctoral students with policy research interests in children and families are eligible for Center Fellowships. Fellows learn about the nexus of policy, practice and research by working on specific Center projects related to children and families. Fellows are appointed for at least one year although our desire is to form a long-term mentoring relationship with each fellow. All Fellows to date have been appointed for two years. Individuals interested in applying to our fellowship program should begin by contacting the Center's administrative associate by clicking here.

Research Scientists
Post-doctoral fellows are an integral part of the Center. As Senior Fellows, they participate in the life of the Center in every capacity, including managing specific projects, training master's and doctoral level students, writing policy reports, and attending policy conferences. The Center has about 4 Senior Fellows each year. Individuals interested in applying to our fellowship program should contact the Center's administrative associate by clicking here.

Research Affiliates and Young Scholars
The training of young scholars is particularly important in the area of child and family policy research, as training within a single field does not adequately prepare individuals for this work. Affiliated Young Scholars are those individuals who have recently completed doctoral training and are junior faculty at research universities throughout the country. Young Scholars come from various disciplines including psychology, economics, sociology, social work, and early childhood education. Young scholars are invited to become Research Affiliates at the Center.

Research Practicum
The Center has developed an integrated series of different research experiences for students at Columbia University. The Center offers different research and policy experiences in exchange for course credits. The requirements include readings, attendance at seminars and 9 hours of research work at the Center per week (an equivalent of 3 credits). The 9 hours will be devoted to training, organization, and providing students with active research involvement on an on-going project. In addition, students who are chosen as research assistants from this practice are given priority for Thesis supervision at the Center. Center Graduate Fellows, in collaboration with the Research Scientists, develop these research experiences. Individuals interested in learning more about the Research Practicum should contact the Center's administrative associate by clicking here.

Visiting Scholars
The Center invites scholars, including former NCCF researchers, from academic institutions or centers outside the NCCF to become part of the organization and join work on research projects for a specified term. Visiting scholars collaborate on ongoing research projects while helping to train those newer to the field.

Research Assistants
Research Assistants are positions of substantial responsibility at the Center. Although duties vary depending on individual assignments, Research Assistants help train data collectors and coordinate their activities; contribute to research reports; edit papers; help Co-Directors prepare for their teaching assignments; and assist Research Scientists and Center Co-Directors across a range of activities. For more information, please contact the Center's administrative associate by clicking here.

Training Opportunities