Project: Airbel Impact Lab, Research and Innovation at the International Rescue Committee. With over 70 million people displaced, the world is facing an unprecedented crisis. To address the evolving and growing nature of this crisis requires not just more aid, but new thinking. There is a lack of proven, cost-effective, scalable services for people affected by crisis. In some cases, there is a lack of evidence on what works. In others, evidence shows existing solutions are effective, but we need to find new ways of delivering them at scale in fragile states. That’s why the IRC created the Airbel Impact Lab. Our goal is to find and advance breakthrough solutions — with people and ethics at the center of all we do.
Behavioral science is one of the innovative approaches we use at the Airbel Impact Lab to design and test solutions in these contexts. It combines theories and evidence from economics, psychology, anthropology, and cognitive science to build an understanding of human behaviors and decision-making processes. Insights from behavioral science can be rapidly tested and applied to the design of humanitarian policies and interventions to ensure they are effectively delivered and adopted in practice.
Role: The Behavioral Insights (BI) practice at the Airbel Impact Lab seeks to create new methodologies for solving complex problems. This involves using qualitative data, data visualization, and artificial intelligence, to create new tools to aid decision-making.
The Data Visualization & Design Fellow will work with the Behavioral Insights Practice team at Airbel Impact Lab to help the team develop a set of tools to support this objective.
This fellowship would be an excellent opportunity for someone looking to further familiarize themselves with behavioral insights, design, or research and innovation in the humanitarian sector, by improving the data-driven design of our work, all while building their network and developing new connections in this field.
Potential deliverables:
- Development of 1-2 new data tools or data visualization tools (prototypes) for the behavioral insights team, that can support the use of behavioral sciences in strategic or programmatic decision-making.
- Support the testing and iteration of these prototypes
- Integrate feedback from teams, into these prototypes.
- Final recommendations for the tools to be refined for use in program design.
Potential travel involved: No travel expected.
Desired Skills:
- Experience with using Artificial Intelligence or machine learning models, to better use data in decision-making.
- Experience with data visualizations or accessible interactive experiences.
- Strong interpersonal communication skills, especially in developing and managing external-facing partnerships.
- Visual communications skills in using Microsoft or Google Drive products such as PowerPoint or Google Slides.
- Experience with using qualitative and quantitative data, to inform design.
- Experience with computational modeling or data science is a plus.
- Graphic design experience, with knowledge of programs such as Publisher or Adobe Suite (Indesign) is a plus
- Interest in humanitarian research, innovation, or behavioral insights would be a plus.
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 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 35 hours/week during the summer semester (May 20 – August 25, 2024). Continuation into the Fall 2024 semester (August 26 – December 22, 2024), with a maximum of 20 hours/week during the Fall 2024 semester.
How to apply: The deadline to apply is March 30, 2024. 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, and Nicole Tuszynski, tuszynsn@newschool.edu.
Interviews will be conducted in early April via Zoom.
Team: Airbel Impact Lab, Research and Innovation at the IRC. 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. Within Airbel, the Best Use of Resources team provides analysis and decision-making support to improve the cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of IRC programs.