SCEPA awards up to three, three-year fellowships within focusing on the political economy of aging. Fellowships are awarded to outstanding scholars who want to pursue their PhD in economics focusing on issues of older workers, precariat labor, wealth accumulation, and retirement.
The Schwartz Fellowship provides full tuition for up to 30 credits of PhD coursework in The New School for Social Research, up to six semesters of fees, and a $25,000 annual stipend for three years for working 20 hours per week as a SCEPA research associate. Additional hours are available during the summer and winter sessions based on project work.
Duties include:
- Help prepare presentations, briefs, and opinion pieces aimed at both technical and non-technical audiences, writing solo or with a team, and with thorough editing. (30%)
- Produce high quality research to publish in academic journals (40%)
- Provide analytic support (data analysis and interpretation) for research and analytic reports; and design compelling data visualizations (30%)
- Attend weekly SCEPA team meetings and meetings or phone calls with partners (10%)
Job Qualifications:
- Strong communication skills, especially in writing and editing for both technical and non-technical audiences
- Experience in working with survey data* and microeconometrics and knowledge of programming in STATA or R
- Knowledge of one or more U.S. data sets related to the U.S. labor market (CPS, ACS, SIPP, SCF, HRS) or at least a willingness to learn and collaborate
WHY SCEPA
We offer our expertise in “real life” economics—taking into account human experience—to create a road map toward a more sustainable future. We do this through research and data analysis, public engagement and communications, and partnerships with other change-makers.
Academic Excellence
SCEPA produces mission-oriented research conducted under the gold standards of academic research and supervised by our faculty director Professor Teresa Ghilarducci. Our fellows learn how to use the core economic household surveys including ACS, CPS, HRS, SCF, and SIPP, as well as a number of restricted administrative datasets. Fellows use the data to conduct state-of-the-art empirical research, write, and publish in the top academic journals. Fellows present their research at prestigious academic conferences, including AEA, APPAM, EEA, LERA, and NETSPAR, among others.
Collaborative and Supportive Environment
SCEPA provides a diverse and dynamic environment ideal for cooperation and teamwork. Fellows work closely together, learn from each other, and assist each other with their joint and individual projects.
Alternative Approaches
The Economics Department of The New School for Social Research has been on the forefront of radical progressive thinking and academic research since its inception over 100 years ago. SCEPA has continued this tradition for 25 years by bringing economic reality to conventional economics and challenging economic doctrines that created economic inequities and insecurities for families, for economies, and for the climate.
SCEPA and The New School’s economics department take pride in their heterodox, multidisciplinary, and intersectional approaches to the most pressing issues facing our society, including climate change, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and inequality.
Engaged and Impactful Research
We are dedicated to bringing up the next generation of progressive economists to ensure policy gains are supported in the future. Our research supports the progressive movements, unions, and coalitions moving the needle in local, state, and federal governments. SCEPA fellows learn about engaging with policymakers, reporters, policy advocates, and other non-technical audiences with guidance from SCEPA’s communications team to translate research into policy briefs, practice talks, and press interviews. We testify in front of governmental bodies and work with elected officials, unions, and campaigns to shape effective and equitable policy. We engage with the media to amplify our voice in public policy debates.
Global Network of Scholars
We are a network of engaged scholars based at The New School for Social Research in New York City. For example, SCEPA’s senior fellows include prominent progressive economists Stephanie Kelton and Mariana Mazzucato and Brazilian economists Laura Barboas de Carvalho and Nelson Barbosa (the former finance minister under Lula da Silva), among others. We also connect our fellows with top scholars through our annual lectures (Heilbroner and Schwartz Lectures), seminars (Political Economy of Aging), and visiting scholar programs.
How to Apply
In addition to satisfying the admission requirements of The New School for Social Research’s (NSSR) doctoral program in economics, applicants should demonstrate a critical and inquiring mind, an interest in the economics of aging, strong math and writing skills, and some familiarity with statistical software and the analysis of micro datasets. Fellows are not required to be U.S. citizens.
To apply for the fellowship, applicants should submit an application to the doctoral program in the Department of Economics at the NSSR, indicate their interest in the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis Fellowship on the application form, and submit an additional statement of interest in the fellowship and other supporting documents. This statement of interest should include a discussion of the research topics of the Retirement Equity Lab and related experience. Supporting documents may include:
- evidence of familiarity with the statistical analysis of micro datasets, and
- additional writing samples (academic or non-academic) that demonstrate interest or experience in political economy of aging or other policy areas.
For questions related to the fellowship application, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
About SCEPA’s Retirement Equity Lab
The Retirement Equity Lab (ReLab) is housed within The New School's Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA), the policy research center of the university's economics department. SCEPA's research provides economic insights for a more equitable society. It aims to ensure working families’ security and access to equitable institutions, which will not only fuel the economy, but create the foundation for a just and sustainable world.
Led by Professor Teresa Ghilarducci, an institutional labor economist and political economy of retirement expert, we investigate the political economy of retirement income insecurity for all Americans, the causes of the retirement crisis in the United States, work options for older Americans, and political and economic forces pushing for an expansion of the labor supply of older workers. Our Center also addresses intergenerational equity and the affordability of pension systems in the wake of other pressing public sector needs. Outputs include academic papers, often co-authored with graduate students, and policy briefs.
About NSSR’s Department of Economics
The New School for Social Research’s Department of Economics provides rigorous training in political economy, the history of economic thought, and economic methodology, alongside core courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics. The Department trains students to undertake an informed, critical, and passionate investigation of the central unresolved dilemmas of modern economic society. Doctoral students at The New School are a part of the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium, which allows them to take graduate level courses at Princeton, Columbia University, New York University, and other area schools. Graduates from the department work in a variety of professions and industries, including top positions in academia, government, consulting, and corporations.
