Apply for The World Bank Mind, Behavior, and Development (eMBeD) unit 2024 summer internship

Policymakers are increasingly turning to behavioral sciences to address difficult policy challenges such as increasing student learning, increasing savings rates, promoting energy and resource conservation, increasing productivity, improving sanitation practices, strengthening institutions, and reducing corruption.

Behaviorally informed policy emphasizes the importance of context for decision making and behavior. It examines a wide set of influences, paying attention to the social, psychological, and economic factors that affect what people think and do. It addresses details in bureaucracies, technologies, and service delivery that are often overlooked in standard policy design but that dramatically influence the effectiveness of development programs and projects, especially in low-income contexts. Behaviorally informed policy can provide creative solutions to difficult challenges, often at low cost. Finally, it helps policy makers themselves avoid some of the decision traps and biases that affect all individuals.

The Mind, Behavior, and Development Unit (eMBeD), the World Bank’s behavioral sciences team in the Poverty and Equity Global Practice, works closely with project teams, governments, and other partners to diagnose, design, and evaluate behaviorally informed interventions. By collaborating with a worldwide network of scientists and practitioners, the eMBeD team provides answers to important economic and social questions, and contributes to the global effort to eliminate poverty and increase equity.

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Responsibilities

eMBeD is seeking a summer intern to support our project portfolio. Internship responsibilities could include:

Conduct research and prepare literature review on one or more of the follow topic areas: education, climate and energy, organizational effectiveness, gender norms, health, the motivations and behavior of public sector bureaucrats, the integration of behavioral science into government units, measurement of behavioral science concepts, and more;
Prepare instruments and diagnostics tools for data collection for field work (focus groups, interviews, surveys etc.) as applicable;
Support the design, implementation and analysis of randomized control trials using behavioral insights approaches;
Work with other researchers to support the field work, data collection, and rigorous data analysis;
Write policy notes or papers that synthesize research findings, provide recommendations, and influence policy-making in relevant areas;
Support eMBeD communication and administrative projects as needed.

Qualifications

Coursework in behavioral sciences and/or economics;
Strong analytical and conceptual skills, including the ability to interpret and present statistical information (including knowledge of Stata or similar programs);
Well-developed teamwork and collaborative abilities, and strong communication skills;
Fluency in English is required; fluency in other languages is a bonus.

Applicants should be enrolled in a graduate degree program, though in exceptional circumstances undergraduates may be considered as well. eMBeD is looking for students with external funding (from their institution or other) that can be documented as a requirement of hiring.

Contract Details

This is a non-paid Short Term Temporary (STT) position for summer 2024 (flexible, between May and September 2024). The intern will be in person or remote; should an in-person arrangement not be possible; the intern may be able to work from anywhere assuming flexibility to attend meetings and attend to tasks in Eastern Time (ET). eMBeD may be flexible with other time for students without a summer break.