The Center for the Study of American Politics at Yale University is pleased to offer a Pre-Doctoral Fellows Program in partnership with the Tobin Center. This program will support quantitative political science research in American politics by providing a high-quality education and training experience for individuals with bachelor’s or master’s degrees who are considering pursuing a Ph.D. in political science or a closely related discipline. The program will be affiliated with the Tobin Center / Economics Pre-Doctoral Fellows Program, which supports policy-relevant economics research.
Pre-doctoral fellows will work for one to two years as full-time research assistants for one or more faculty mentors and engage in additional education and training activities, including taking for credit or auditing one course per semester, participating in a weekly professional development seminar, and attending political science and economics department research seminars. All positions are based on-campus. Fellows will work in common workspaces to foster camaraderie and peer learning, and they will be located close to the American politics faculty in the Institution for Social and Policy Studies and Center for the Study of American Politics.
CSAP Project Descriptions 2025-2026
CSAP Predoc: American Politics and Political Methodology, Assistant Professors Melody Huang and Mellisa Meisels
CSAP Predoc: Power and Control in American Political Institutions, Assistant Professor Christina Kinane
CSAP Predoc: The Democratic Party in the Knowledge Economy, Professor Jacob Hacker
CSAP Predoc: U.S. Election Data and Quantitative Methods, Assistant Professor Shiro Kuriwaki
Application Process
We invite interested individuals to apply for the political science projects as part of Tobin’s 2024-2025 cohort and to join a vibrant and diverse community of scholars. Detailed instructions are on the Tobin Center / Pre-Doctoral Fellows Program / Apply webpage. We welcome applicants with different prior educational experiences, including those with political science degrees, other social science majors, and those who have worked in data and computationally intensive fields.
Please note that the coding sample is optional for the CSAP positions. Some political science faculty supervisors may also request application materials directly (see CSAP Project Descriptions). In this case, please follow their instructions and also submit the common application.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until positions have been filled. New political science positions may continue to be posted to the CSAP listing, and filled positions will be indicated. Short-listed applicants may be asked to complete a data or technical exercise and may be invited to interview.
Most positions will begin in July to coincide with the Tobin Center’s multi-day orientation and training, although other start dates may be negotiable. Positions in political science will last for one year with an option to renew for a second and final year by mutual agreement by the faculty supervisor(s) and the fellow. Salary will be competitive with similar programs at other institutions, and the position includes standard benefits such as health insurance. The University will sponsor visas for accepted international candidates (unless otherwise indicated in an individual project description).
For more information about the CSAP political science program and application requirements, please see our frequently asked questions. You may also contact Gregory Huber (gregory.huber@yale.edu), the CSAP Director. Rebecca Toseland (rebecca.toseland@yale.edu) at the Tobin Center can answer questions about the Tobin Center program more generally.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Yale University is an Affirmative Action / Equal Opportunity employer. Yale values diversity among its students, staff, and faculty and strongly welcomes applications from women, persons with disabilities, protected veterans, and underrepresented minorities.