Climate Jobs Institute Research Assistant

Description, Responsibilities, and Qualifications

The Illinois Climate Jobs Institute (CJI) is accepting applications for graduate student research assistants for the 2025-2026 school year. CJI’s Research Assistantship Program provides graduate students an opportunity to develop experience at the intersection of clean energy, policy, labor, and workforce development. Research Assistants conduct research to inform Illinois’ clean energy transition, with a focus on workers and their communities. Through research rooted in climate and economic justice, our research assistants contribute to a clean energy future where workers and communities prosper.

Research Assistants are mentored by experienced staff as they contribute to applied research projects and gain a broad understanding of Illinois clean energy policy and labor standards. They will be responsible for attending weekly meetings, contributing to research projects, and producing memos, reports, and other deliverables as requested. 

Candidates must be current or incoming University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign masters- or PhD-level graduate students from fields including Urban Planning, Economics, Public Policy, Labor and Industrial Relations, or other related fields.  Ideally, they will have strong quantitative and qualitative research skills and an interest in clean energy and labor policy.  They will work well with others and be able to work independently on research tasks.