Thank you for your interest in IPD!
We are currently recruiting new student research affiliates for the
2023-2024 academic year. 

If you are interested in joining a team, please follow these steps:

  1. Read through the AY2023-24 project description on our Research Teams page.
  2. Join us for our 2023-24 New Student Information session on
    August 24, from 5:15-6:30 in RLP 4.600.
  3. Make sure you have an updated resume or CV ready to go.
  4. Complete our online application HERE

What can you do as a member of IPD? 

    • Work together with faculty and IPD student leaders on Research Teams. 
    • Attend our Skill Building Workshops to gain practical and in-demand skills in research design, software, statistical analysis, and more.
    • Find Mentorship with faculty and other students doing research in the areas of peace and development, as well as networking and professional connections.
    • Attend IPD monthly “All Hands” Meetings where research teams showcase their work, and attendees participate in professionalization exercises and hear from guest speakers.
    • Take advantage of our Lab Space (RLP 4.600), which includes conference rooms, AV equipment, private offices, a kitchenette, and room for collaborative work. 
    • Enroll in our Practicum Course, a two-semester sequence that combines participation on a research team, advancement of your quantitative research skills, and support as students complete their own top-notch research project.

IPD Practicum Course:
GOV 355C Applied Research Methods I (Fall) and GOV 355D Applied Research Methods II (Spring)
​
This two-semester course sequence provides UT Austin undergraduate students with a comprehensive introduction to the research process in the social sciences. Students learn in a classroom setting, gain hands-on experience as members of IPD research teams, and use cutting edge methods to research and write their own first-rate paper. 

The classroom part of the course sequence covers the essential elements of applied social science research, including arguments, concepts, measures, causality, and basic statistics. Given that knowledge of statistical software, text editors, reference management software, and mapping software is increasingly helpful for success in the social sciences, the course also provides training in programs like Stata, R, LaTeX, Mendeley, Python, and ArcGIS. Instruction also covers topics including experiments, data structures, data cleaning, hypothesis testing, measurement challenges, linear regression, as well as the basics of panel data, regression discontinuity designs, difference-in-differences, synthetic controls, logistic regression, and network analysis. Over the course of the year, students complete their own research projects, write-up their results in a formal paper, and present their findings to a variety of audiences.

Students are required to take both courses in the sequence.
​Prerequisites: Upper division standing and six semester hours of lower-division coursework in Government.
May be counted toward the Independent Inquiry flag requirement. May be counted toward the Writing flag requirement.
Designed to accommodate 35 or fewer students.