Education Research Data & Knowledge Management Fellow

Role:The Research & Data Management Fellow will support two complementary workstreams within the Education Research team. The team will prioritize candidates who have the skillset relevant to both workstreams,but is open to splitting the role between two fellows, or adjusting deliverables/priorities based on candidates’ interests/experience. 

Workstream A: Research Data Management 

Humanitarian research organizations are increasingly embracing Open Science practices, which prioritize transparency, accessibility, and collaboration. A core principle of Open Science is the open sharing of research data to promote reproducibility and equitable access to knowledge. Research Organizations working in conflict and crises settings generate vast amounts of data. To maximize the impact of this data, the Education Research Team at Airbel has adopted the Harvard Dataverse Repository as its primary platform for data publication and preservation for their research studies and projects – such as the Education Research in Conflict & Protracted Crisis (ERICC). The Research Data Management Fellow will play a key role in operationalizing this Open Science strategy. Working closely with the Research Coordinator and Education Researchers, the Fellow will: 

• Support the implementation of the Harvard Dataverse repository. 
• Manage datasets and associated files across education research projects. 
• Develop and apply standardized templates for README files, codebooks, and licenses. 
• Engage with country teams to collect Data Management Plans (DMPs), de-identified datasets, and standardized documentation. 
• Assess datasets for readiness for open sharing and ensure compliance with FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. 
• Assist research teams in organizing, documenting, and publishing datasets. 
• Contribute to developing APIs to automate workflows and integrate with external data tools. 

Workstream B: Knowledge Management 

Working in close collaboration with the Research Coordinator, Education Researchers, and the Strategy & Delivery staff at the Airbel Impact Lab, the Knowledge Management Fellow will also support updating and curating content related to Education Research Projects and Studies on the Airbel Impact Lab website. This includes cross-referencing internal databases (e.g., Notion), reviewing existing documentation (e.g. in shared Box Drives & Google Drive Folders), and synthesizing research outputs into digestible formats for external audiences. The Fellow will also draft policy and research briefs (as needed), write descriptive summaries, and contribute to a comprehensive capacity statement that showcases the breadth of our education research portfolio. 

This dual-role fellowship offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in both research data infrastructure and strategic knowledge dissemination—skills highly relevant to careers in research coordination, data governance, and digital knowledge management. 

Potential deliverables 

Research Data Management 

• 5 curated and published datasets (with complete metadata, documentation and access configurations) 
• 5 README files and codebooks generated (clear descriptions of dataset structure, variables, and usage instructions to support reproducibility.) 
• 5 DMPs reviewed and feedback provided (Assessing compliance with FAIR and IRC data governance principles, and suggesting improvements) 

Knowledge Management   

• Audit and update the Education Research section of the Airbel Impact Lab website. 
• Cross-check internal databases (e.g., Notion) and documents to identify missing studies and research outputs. 
• Draft and publish 4 policy and research briefs for studies lacking public-facing summaries. 
• Upload and organize research outputs including journal articles, Op-Eds, briefs, and project descriptions. 
• Write guiding descriptions for study/project (only where such summaries are missing) to improve user navigation and understanding. 
• Update the existing capacity statement by drafting concise summaries that highlight the scope and impact of education research activities 

Desired Skills:  

Required 

• Strong writing and synthesis skills, especially for non-technical audiences. 
• Familiarity with research data management practices and principles (such as FAIR standards) 
• Experience with data repositories such as Harvard Dataverse, and metadata documentation (e.g. DDI) 
• Understanding of ethical data sharing and deidentification protocols. 
• Basic understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods. 
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a remote team environment 
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. 

Preferred

• Experience drafting policy briefs or research summaries 
• Familiarity with knowledge management platforms (e.g., Notion, Google Drive, Box, Airtable). 
• Basic proficiency in data analysis tools (e.g., Stata, R, or Python). 
• Ability to work with spreadsheets, including Excel or similar tools, for data handling and validation. 
• Familiarity with website content management systems 
• Graphic design or data visualization skills for presenting research findings 
• Strong interest in research data, particularly in humanitarian contexts 
• Experience with API development or integration tools (not a hard requirement) 

Requirements: Students must be a matriculated graduate or Ph.D. student at The New School. Fellows are hired as Research Associates by The New School.

Work Environment: This fellowship will work with the Education Research team at the Airbel Impact Lab based in the IRC’s HQ in New York City. While this fellowship is remote, all Fellows must be physically located in the US.

Fellowship Length: This fellowship carries a maximum of 20 hours/week during the Spring 2026 semester (January 5 – May 17, 2026). Continuation into Summer 2026 is potentially available.

How to apply: The deadline to apply is October 22, 2025. Please submit one PDF document containing a cover letter, CV/resume, and two work samples (writing and/or design portfolio – 5 pages maximum per sample) to Catherine McGahan, McGahanC@newschool.edu.

Interviews will be conducted in November via Zoom.

Team: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future.  

The Airbel Impact Lab designs, tests, and scales life-changing cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. By applying the IRC’s deep technical expertise and field experience with a range of skills from the behavioral sciences, human-centered design, research, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in humanitarian contexts, we work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and rigor, openness and expertise, and a desire to think afresh with the experience of a large-scale implementing organization.

Sitting within Airbel, the Education Research Team focuses on generating rigorous evidence to improve access to safe, quality education and equitable learning for all children in conflict and crisis settings. With over 89 million children out of school in conflict-affected countries and 234 million requiring urgent support to access education, the team investigates what works, for whom, at what cost, and under what conditions. Our work aims to improve not only immediate educational outcomes but also long-term academic achievement, and overall well-being for millions of children in humanitarian contexts.