*Applications for Spring 2024 have now closed; we will hire again for Fall 2024

Time commitment: 4-6 hours per week during the Spring 2024 semester, including Fridays, 9:00am-12:00pm

Description: The Policing Lab at Hamilton College’s Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center conducts research on policing practices across the globe. Our current research focuses on documenting and explaining the spread of militarized policing—a practice in which police adopt the weaponry, organizational practices, and accountability more typical of military forces. Prof. Erica De Bruin, Associate Professor of Government at Hamilton, serves as Principal Investigator (PI) for the project and Lab Director.

We are currently seeking a Graduate Research Assistant/Lab Manager. The role involves helping to compile a global dataset of police militarization, 1946-today, and providing feedback and mentoring to undergraduate student researchers engaged in the same. In the Spring semester, the lab will focus on compiling data on policing in Sub-Saharan Africa. Substantive research questions the Lab will subsequently pursue with the data include how militarized policing spread, why it spread in the way that it did, and what the political consequences have been.

The position is open to graduate students currently enrolled in a PhD program in Political Science. The strongest candidates will have experience providing feedback to undergraduate students through prior teaching assistant positions or other roles; strong attention to detail; and substantive expertise on policing, security forces, and/or state violence, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Candidates from groups historically underrepresented in Political Science are particularly encouraged to apply.

The position is paid at $25.00 per hour. It requires a commitment of approximately 4-6 hours per week for 12 weeks per semester, starting January 19. The Graduate Research Assistant must be available to work on Friday mornings (9:00am-12:00pm) during the Spring semester, when the undergraduate students will be working together in person, as well as additional hours on their own schedule.

The work can be conducted remotely; however, candidates in or near upstate New York, who would be able to join in person two or three Friday mornings during the semester (with travel reimbursed), would be an asset.

To apply, please submit a brief letter describing your interest and relevant experience, CV, and recent teaching evaluations or other evidence of ability to work with undergraduates to edebruin@hamilton.edu by Friday, December 29, 2023.

*Applications for Spring 2024 have now closed; we will hire again for Fall 2024

Job requirements: The Policing Lab is hiring up to 6 research assistants for Spring 2024. Student researchers will have the opportunity to better understand the research process, develop data analysis and visualization skills, and potentially to serve as co-authors on research. During the academic year, research assistants will research the police forces of different countries, helping to compile a new, global dataset of police militarization, 1946-today. During the summer months, up to four research assistants will have the option to stay on to work collaboratively with Prof. De Bruin to analyze the data or pursue their own research projects with it. Substantive research questions the Lab will pursue include how militarized policing spread, why it spread in the way that it did, and what the political consequences have been.

Candidates from underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply. Historically, graduate programs in political science have struggled to recruit and retain women, scholars of color, and first-generation scholars. Research labs such as the Policing Lab at Hamilton aim to change this by providing a diverse group of undergraduate students with training in data collection, data analysis, and research design; providing a collaborative, team-based research experience; and ongoing mentoring.

No prior experience conducting research is necessary to serve as a research assistant in the Lab. The strongest candidates will be interested in learning about policing around the globe; have a desire to develop research skills and work collaboratively with others; have strong attention to detail; and welcome constructive feedback.

The positions are paid at $15.50 per hour. Positions in the Policing Lab require a commitment of 6-8 hours per week for the Spring Semester, starting January 19. Students must be available to work in person Friday mornings (9:00am-12:00pm), as well as attend one weekly team meeting on Mondays at a time TBD. The remaining weekly hours involve independent research.