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The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level.
We bring together leading experts in government and academia from all over the world, rooted in open-minded inquiry and representing diverse points of view, who provide the highest quality research, policy recommendations, and analysis. Research topics cover a full range of public policy issues in economics, foreign policy, development, governance and metropolitan policy.
With fair and transparent business practices, clear communication, mutual respect, and a collaborative atmosphere that offers both professional and personal development opportunities, Brookings offers an inclusive and welcoming workplace that values the efforts of all contributors.
The Foreign Policy program at Brookings is the leading center of high-quality, policy-relevant scholarship advancing actionable solutions to the major challenges to international peace and security. Brookings Foreign Policy scholars and staff draw on their deep expertise to engage in in-depth, nonpartisan research and analysis aimed at informing policymakers and the public debate and developing concrete policy recommendations to address the world’s toughest problems.
Position Location:This position is hybrid. Hybrid positions combine regular in-person presence at our Washington, DC office with the option of at least two days of remote work each week.
Please Note: This position is included in the staff bargaining unit, Brookings United, affiliated with the IFPTE Local 70 union, and is covered under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
This is a term position through December 31, 2026.
Ready to contribute to Brookings success?
The Research Assistant provides professional, directed research support for scholars in the Energy Security and Climate Initiative (ESCI) and the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, as well as administrative support and coordination for operations and events. Research topics may include the technical, political, and geopolitical aspects of energy security and the transition toward a low-carbon energy system, as well as national security and U.S. defense policy more broadly. In addition to this research support, the Research Assistant also serves as point of contact for travel and media-appearance scheduling for certain scholars and works as a team member to provide general programmatic support.
Research Assistance (60%)
Supports assigned scholars in all aspects of policy research. Specific areas for the Talbott Center may include national security and U.S. defense policy, including defense modernization, emerging technology and innovation, nuclear policy, and maritime security. For ESCI, research topics may include the global energy transition, technological innovation, and implications of these developments for geopolitics and policy.
Collects data for scholar research projects from a range of sources, including government sources, public opinion surveys, books, journal articles, newspapers, and personal contacts; assembles unclassified government data, documents, and reports.
Reads primary and secondary sources for relevance to research themes; prepares notes on meetings and conferences; creates and maintains spreadsheets and databases.
May write summary reports, briefing memos, bibliographies, and chronologies for internal use, as well as draft narrative reports to funders.
Provides fact-checking, citation support, copy-editing, and proofreading of publications.
May assist scholars in drafting publications and presentations, including the development and formatting of PowerPoint slides.
Maintains and updates scholar pages on the Brookings website, and routinely updates impact tracker.
Coordinates closely with Foreign Policy and Brookings central Communications staff to ensure compliance with FP and Brookings standards and practices for all publications and outreach efforts.
Administrative Support (40%)
Works with ESCI, Talbott Center, and Communications staff to support events, including room reservations, catering, arrangements for virtual meetings, and general logistics.
Coordinates development of event invitations, announcements, and guest lists; liaises with event speakers and their staffs.
Proactively monitors event-day implementation of plans and resolves problems.
As requested, helps manage Talbott Center intern(s) and intern selection process in cooperation with other staff.
Assists assigned scholars with travel arrangements as needed, including reservations, expense tracking, and facilitating travel expense reports.
Provides administrative, communications, and logistical support to assigned scholars; schedules appointments and makes travel arrangements; prepares and edits correspondence and memos from verbal instruction.
Assists in preparing financial reports, coding expenses and invoices, and reimbursement requests.
Maintains electronic files, saving final versions of all documents on respective team SharePoint site as appropriate.
Provides general assistance for ESCI and Talbott Center as needed.
Works closely with ESCI, Talbott Center, and Brookings Institution staff to ensure activities are carried out in accordance with guidelines and processes of the Foreign Policy program and the Institution.
Ready to make an impact? In this role, you will support Brookings values of collegiality, respect, inclusion, diversity and community, and bring the following qualifications:
Education/Experience Requirements
A bachelor’s degree is required; a degree in political science, history, economics, or a related field is preferred. Coursework on – and strong interest in – international relations, security policy, and quantitative analysis is required, and some focus on energy, environmental systems, and defense and international security issues is preferred. Relevant experience, including experience in research support, event coordination and planning, and project management, is required. Experience may be gained through internships, school research projects, and/or study abroad, and should be highlighted in the cover letter.
Note: Must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S.
Knowledge/Skills Requirements
Research skills: The Research Assistant must have the ability to conduct directed, professional foreign policy research by locating and citing appropriate primary and secondary sources. Must possess strong knowledge of statistics, economics, international relations, and the policymaking process. Must develop deep and detailed knowledge of specific policy issues in support of scholars’ work. Basic familiarity with research methodologies and techniques, competence in basic data analysis methods, and proficiency in at least one statistical package are required. Must be able to conduct literature reviews under guidance and compile, organize, and proofread bibliographies and chronologies. Ability to navigate Chinese-language primary and secondary sources is preferred.
Interpersonal skills: Must possess the enthusiasm, poise, tact, discretion, and mature judgment to handle issues and respond appropriately and professionally in fast-paced environment. Strong listening skills and ability to establish effective working relationships are required. Must be able to adapt to changing circumstances.
Communication skills: Must have outstanding written and oral communications skills. Must be able to communicate proactively and interact professionally and productively with all levels of internal and external stakeholders. Professional fluency in English is required; Chinese language reading ability is preferred.
Organizational skills: Must possess excellent organizational skills with high level of attention to detail. Abilities to work independently, identify and seek to resolve problems, ask for clarification when required, and interpret and implement instructions are required. Must be able to multi-task and complete tasks in a timely manner. Must be able to help organize large and small events with high-level participants.
Writing skills: Strong writing skills are required. Ability to clearly express concepts, ideas, and facts in research areas is required. Must be able to able to draft event invitations, formal correspondence, literature reviews, and short publications or sections in longer papers with supervision from a scholar. Must be able to fact check and copy edit publications.
Technical skills: Must be able to effectively use the Internet and should possess advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Office 365. A demonstrated ability to visualize how data and concepts can be communicated in different formats is preferred.
Additional Information
What can we offer you? Brookings provides a generous benefit package that is comprehensive and includes both traditional benefits and unique offerings. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision benefits, generous time off, and workplace flexibility. For more information, please visit Brookings Benefits.
Brookings requires that all applicants submit a cover letter and resume. Please attach your cover letter and resume as one document when you apply. Please note: if you have applied to more than one Brookings job opening you should add a position-specific cover letter as a separate attachment.
Successful completion of a background investigation is required for employment at Brookings.
Brookings welcomes and celebrates diversity in all its forms, including diversity of experience, thought, and personal background. We welcome applications that reflect a variety of backgrounds based on ideology, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, first generation college goers, and other factors protected by law. Brookings is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace. All selection decisions are based upon merit, skills, abilities and experience.
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