In the summer of their first year, Pre-Doctoral Fellows attend a rigorous orientation week to help them acclimate to research life at the University of Chicago. This includes technical sessions in key programs like STATA and an introduction to econometric methods as well as sessions with key contacts across EPIC and UChicago. Orientation Week is also a prime moment for Fellows to meet one another through a slate of evening social programs.
Through a series of quarterly workshops and the annual retreat for Fellows, Fellows hear from a range of perspectives about post-fellow life. This includes hearing from faculty and researchers on topics ranging from advanced econometric techniques, journal submissions, PhD application tips, and career opportunities.
The EPIC Pre-doctoral Fellowship offers competitive compensation and generous benefits, including 50% of your tuition for up to two classes per quarter, discounted commuter benefits, management and technical skills development, and comprehensive health, dental, and life insurance plans. For more information on the University of Chicago benefits, please click here.
As an EPIC Pre-doctoral Fellow, you’ll gain access to a series of EPIC workshops and events:
EPIC Lunch Series
EPIC hosts weekly workshops that allow faculty, researchers and PhD students from a wide variety of disciplines to present their latest research to an audience of peers. In doing so, they can learn about research happening right on campus outside of their own domains and find areas that intersect with their research to make the research more robust. Learn more here.
Co-hosted with the Becker Friedman Institute and Chicago Booth, the Research Professional workshop brings together pre-doctoral researchers across UChicago to discuss research and pursuing academic careers. The workshop occurs every two weeks throughout the academic year and summer, and topics range pre-docs presenting their independent research to faculty discussing topics like navigating the publication process or choosing a research topic.
Pre-doctoral fellows take the lead in organizing a weekly lunch series with young researchers from throughout the University interested in learning more about climate and energy topics. Participants have an opportunity to practice sharing their research and leading discussions, though no research experience is required for those who want to just come and learn. Learn more here.
EPIC regularly brings in experts from throughout the nation and world to the University of Chicago to present and discuss cutting-edge research and trends on a wide variety of energy and environmental topics. These experts are often economists, scientists or engineers who work in academia, industry or government. Their expertise runs wide and deep, and serves to both inform and engage an interdisciplinary group of UChicago faculty and researchers, students, alums, and members of the local community.
EPIC Pre-doctoral Fellows will have the opportunity to attend workshops and events around the University of Chicago campus including, but not limited to:
- Becker Friedman Institute Workshops
- Booth School of Business Workshops
- Center for Health and the Social Sciences [CHeSS] Workshops
- Development Lunch (International Development)
- Public Policy and Economics Workshop
- HCEO [Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Global Working Group] Events
- University of Chicago Law School: Law and Economics Workshop