THE DEADLINE FOR THE 2021 PROGRAM HAS PASSED. PLEASE LOOK FOR INFO ON JOINING OUR NEXT COHORT IN JANUARY OF 2022!
The Security and Political Economy (SPEC) Lab at the University of Southern California is welcoming applications from current undergraduate students for an 8-week intensive research training program in summer 2021. The program includes training in research methods and work as a research assistant on faculty-led projects related to the political economy of security. The program is funded by the National Science Foundation and all participants will receive free housing on the USC campus, travel reimbursement, and a stipend. We particularly welcome applications from first-generation college students, minority students, and other students from under-represented groups.
Program Overview
An unprecedented level of economic interdependence complicates development of any U.S. strategy for competition with rivals like China or Russia. This heightened economic interdependence between allies and competitors alike both shapes the costs of military conflict and makes available new tools of economic statecraft and coercion. Equipping future scholars to both understand the economic dynamics that drive conflict and propose solutions is critical for pursuing US national interest in an era of economic interdependence. The SPEC Lab will provide ten undergraduates per year with an 8-week summer research experience (SRE), where they will engage in graduate-level research on the political economy of international security and attend weekly workshops in research design, data science, and professional development.
Each SRE participant will contribute to one of several interrelated research projects including: 1) the creation and analysis of disaggregated, network-based measures of economic interdependence and the identification of exploitable asymmetries in dependence; 2) analysis of states’ ability to employ military coercion for economic gain, especially by means short of outright conquest; 3) analysis linking the local effects of climate change and environmental degradation to societal conflict including protests, riots, and war; 4) data collection and analysis related to foreign aid and education provision in conflict-affected areas. For additional information on SPEC Lab faculty and research, see our website at uscspec.org.
The SPEC Lab SRE runs from June 7-July 30, 2021. Students will be expected to work 30 hours per week in the lab, inclusive of hours spent in formal trainings.
Qualifications and Application Procedures
Prior research experience is not required for participation. However, we hope to prioritize participation by students who intend to pursue research careers in the social sciences. We expect that most participants will be rising juniors or rising seniors. We also particularly welcome applications from first-generation college students, minority students, and other students from under-represented groups. Due to constraints on NSF funding, participation is limited to US citizens and legal permanent residents.
Review of applications is rolling with a final due date of February 22, 2021. For questions, please contact us at uscspeclab@gmail.com.