Part-Time Research Assistant
About FRI
Forecasting Research Institute (FRI) advances the science of forecasting to improve decision-making on high-stakes issues. Building on the work of Chief Scientist Philip Tetlock, FRI develops practical forecasting tools and applies them to society’s most critical decisions.
Our work includes:
Creating panels of experts and skilled forecasters to make predictions about complex, long-term challenges facing society, including AI progress, bioweapons, and nuclear risk.
Methodological innovations for predicting hard-to-forecast outcomes, such as applying adversarial collaboration to debates about the future of AI and improving forecasts of low-probability events.
Using AI tools to enhance forecasting research. For example, we maintain a benchmark, ForecastBench, for evaluating the accuracy of AI-produced forecasts.
Our work has been featured in major news outlets, including The Economist, TIME, and Vox. Our team has presented our findings at side events at the United Nations, to Los Alamos National Laboratory, and to leading frontier AI companies, among other top decision-makers.
The role
Research assistants support project leads in a variety of ways. Example tasks include:
Literature reviews
Distilling complex topics into forecastable questions
Responding to forecasters’ questions or clarification requests
Assisting project leads in designing and conducting experiments
Analyzing data and aggregating forecasts from in-progress and previous forecasting tournaments and experiments
Helping to run forecasting tournaments
Collecting historical data underlying forecasting questions to embed in forecasting tournaments
Qualifications
The ideal candidate would have the following characteristics, but do not let this list prevent you from applying:
Generalist research skills
Clear, explicit communicator
Strong writing skills
Familiarity with, and interest in, quantitative forecasting
Ability to work productively in a self-directed (remote) environment
Comfort taking on new challenges and learning new tools
Familiarity with some of the data skills listed in our data analyst job description, though not required, is preferred
We are aware that women and those from minority groups are less likely to apply for roles if they don't meet every single criteria. We highly encourage you to apply, even if you don't feel completely qualified. Some of the best people we’ve worked with in our careers felt underqualified when they first applied, and we’re glad they did so anyway.
The fine print
Role details
This is a part time, contractor role, with a preference for candidates who will be available 10+ hours/week.
This role is entirely remote, and we are able to hire people in most countries. Applicants can work whichever hours of the day work for them.
We prefer applicants who can start immediately.
Pay is commensurate with experience, starting at $25/hour.
All RAs are hired on a 3-month term initially, to test for mutual fit. We hope to extend this in most cases.
Application process
We are actively reviewing applications on a rolling basis and will take down this job posting when the role is filled.
The application process will vary by candidate but for successful candidates will typically involve:
An initial application, including a 1-hour work test
A paid 10-hour work test
Three 45-minute interviews with members of our team