Student Staff
Each year, IIEP employs 20-25 Federal Work Study students in paid roles that support the Institute’s research, events, communications, and daily operations. Student employees are an essential part of the Institute’s work: they assist faculty and staff, support public programming, contribute to research and communications projects, and help create a welcoming and professional environment for speakers, guests, and students.
Working at IIEP gives eligible students practical experience inside a university-based research institute. Students build skills in research support, event planning, communications, digital media, project coordination, and professional correspondence while engaging with scholars, policymakers, alumni, and practitioners working on international economic policy.
Eligibility Note: IIEP student employment opportunities are generally limited to students who have received and accepted a Federal Work Study offer. Students should confirm their Federal Work Study eligibility with the Office of Student Financial Assistance before applying. Due to the high volume of inquiries, we are unable to respond individually to questions about non-Federal Work-Study opportunities.
Roles & Descriptions
IIEP Events and Operations Assistants are student employees who help run the Institute’s office, events, conferences, and day-to-day operations. This is a team-based, public-facing role for students who are organized, detail-oriented, welcoming, and interested in learning how a research institute operates behind the scenes.
Tasks include hosting virtual and in-person events; corresponding with faculty and speakers; arranging catering, transportation, and lodging; email correspondence; and tracking of institute activities using Google Drive. Staff will also manage the support for the IIEP office suite, including technical, organizational, and logistical assistance. Early morning and late evening support may be required for one-off events.
The role offers hands-on experience in office administration, event planning, conference logistics, communications, hospitality, and technology support. Events and Operations Assistants work closely as a student team and play an important role in making IIEP programs run smoothly and professionally.
What We Look For. Successful Events and Operations Assistants are dependable, detail-oriented, professional, and comfortable interacting with faculty, speakers, guests, students, and external partners. This role is a strong fit for students who enjoy teamwork, hospitality, problem-solving, logistics, technology, and helping events run well.
Prior experience in customer service, hospitality, restaurants, retail, office work, events, student leadership, Excel, or AI-assisted tools can be valuable, but students will also learn many systems and processes on the job.
Scheduling and Hours. Assistants are assigned a regular weekly office schedule ranging from 4-8 hours per week. During weeks with events, schedules shift to reflect event needs. A handful of major conference weeks may require a larger time commitment, with hours increasing to approximately 12–18 hours. Event and conference staffing needs are communicated in advance.
IIEP Communications and Marketing Assistants help tell the story of the Institute’s research, events, faculty, students, and public programming. Students work as part of a communications team of approximately 5-7 student assistants, in close coordination with Institute leadership.
This role is a strong fit for students who enjoy writing, design, storytelling, public-facing communications, social media, and learning how a research institute reaches students, faculty, policymakers, and external audiences.
What Communications Assistants Do. Assistants help update and maintain IIEP’s social media platforms, website, event pages, newsletters, and other content . Work may include drafting social media posts, promoting events, creating graphics in Canva, writing website content, preparing faculty features, taking photos or videos at events, supporting email marketing, and helping highlight IIEP initiatives, research areas, conferences, student opportunities, and faculty work.
Because this role involves communicating about economic policy, international affairs, and related research areas, students should be interested in learning the substance behind the content they are creating. Assistants should be comfortable learning new digital tools including AI and using them carefully, creatively, and responsibly.
What we look for. Successful Assistants are strong writers, highly detail-oriented, creative, organized, and thoughtful about audience. They should be able to check their work carefully and understand that public-facing communications require accuracy, professionalism, and good judgment. Competitive applicants often have experience or interest in communications, social media, graphic design, Canva, photography, videography, website editing, email marketing, economics, international affairs, public policy, or related fields.
Scheduling and Hours. Assistants are assigned a regular weekly office schedule ranging from 4-8 hours per week. During weeks with events, schedules shift to reflect event needs. A handful of major conference weeks may require a larger time commitment, with hours increasing to approximately 12–18 hours. Event and conference staffing needs are communicated in advance.
IIEP Research Assistants are Institute student employees who support faculty research. RAs are assigned to faculty projects as needs arise, based on their skills, experience, and fit. While many RA assignments involve direct work with a faculty member, RAs remain part of IIEP’s student staff and are expected to stay engaged with Institute communications, and activities.
RA work varies by project. Assignments may include literature reviews, qualitative research, data collection, data cleaning, data analysis, coding, writing support, policy research, event- or publication-related research support, and other research-related tasks. Some projects are primarily qualitative or policy-focused, while others involve advanced quantitative methods, statistical software, coding, or regression analysis.
How assignments work. Students may be matched with faculty projects involving different topics, timelines, and deliverables. While student strengths are taken into account, RAs should be prepared to contribute across a range of project types, including work outside their primary academic interests.
Because RA work is project-based, assignment timing may vary. Some students may be matched with a project immediately, while others may experience lighter periods between assignments or while new projects are being developed. During these periods, RAs may be offered opportunities to support Institute office work, events, communications, publications, initiatives, or other activities, depending on Institute needs and the student’s availability.
What we look for. Successful RAs are intellectually curious, responsible, organized, and able to work independently with limited day-to-day oversight. These are high-trust roles: students are expected to manage deadlines, communicate proactively with faculty supervisors, respond promptly to Institute communications, and take ownership of assigned work.
Competitive applicants have strong academic backgrounds in economics, geography, public health, math, business, international affairs, political science, statistics, or a related field. Experience with Excel, GIS, SAS, Stata, EViews, R, Python, or other research, statistical, coding, mapping, or data analysis tools is also valuable.
Expected Hours and Appointment Length. RA appointments are typically made on a semester-by-semester basis. Most RA positions are approximately 4-6 hours per week, though hours may vary depending on project needs, funding, and the academic calendar. Because assignments are project-based, the timing and volume of work may fluctuate throughout the semester.
- How do I apply?
Applications are posted in the GW Student Employment website. To find IIEP position, search for Department 180112.
Most IIEP student employment positions are posted in late July for the academic year. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and positions may close once they are filled. Most fall hiring is completed by the end of September. Applicants selected for further consideration will be contacted to schedule a virtual interview.
Candidates may be screened for multiple IIEP student employment roles based on their skills, experience, interests, and Institute needs. Applicants are encouraged to review the role descriptions carefully and apply to the position or positions that best match their background and interests.
- What is the federal work study program?
The Federal Work Study (FWS) Program is a federally-funded work program that allows GW students who have received a Federal Work Study offer from the Office of Student Financial Assistance to earn money through a part-time job during the academic year. If you have been offered and accepted FWS funding as part of your financial aid package, you are eligible to hold a FWS position.
- How should I prepare for an interview?
Applicants should review the role description carefully and be prepared to discuss why they are interested in the position, what relevant skills or experiences they would bring, and how they would contribute to IIEP’s work. Applicants are also encouraged to review IIEP’s faculty, initiatives, research areas, and recent events before the interview.
Strong candidates are able to speak specifically about the role they applied for, communicate clearly about their past experience, and explain how they approach teamwork, deadlines, communication, and independent work.
- Are there non-Federal Work Study Employment opportunities?
At this time, we are not able to offer employment opportunities to students who do not have Federal Work-Study eligibility. We are also unable to offer unpaid student work opportunities due to university restrictions.
Students interested in gaining research experience are encouraged to connect directly with faculty members whose work aligns with their interests to ask whether there may be opportunities to assist with research.
Students are also strongly encouraged to engage with our Institute by attending our public events, as well as student-focused networking lunches and receptions when available. These programs are designed to help students learn more about current research, connect with faculty and practitioners, and become more involved in our community.