Undergraduate Research & Admin Assistant

Stanford's Institute for Advancing Just Societies (IAJS) is seeking an undergraduate student to support a broad range of the institute's programs and projects over the 2026–27 academic year. Much of the work supports the Flourishing Cities Initiative, including 1) a new AI knowledge platform IAJS is building on immigrant integration and 2) the Racial Equity in Neighborhoods Collaborative (REN), which brings researchers and community partners together to advance neighborhood equity in the Bay Area. Working under the direction of the Deputy Director of Programs and alongside IAJS staff, the student will primarily provide research support for these efforts, while also helping with program coordination and communications. The specific mix of work may be shaped in part around the student’s strengths and interests.

About the Institute for Advancing Just Societies:

Stanford's Institute for Advancing Just Societies (IAJS) puts Stanford's research to work on complex challenges where race and ethnicity shape people's outcomes and opportunities. Drawing on expertise from all seven Stanford schools, IAJS partners with the people and institutions closest to these issues to advance solutions-focused research, build bridges between academia and practice, and translate knowledge into tools that help communities flourish.

What You’ll Gain: 

This role offers hands-on experience connecting academic research with practice for real-world impact. Over the year, the student will:

• Build applied desk research skills in finding, evaluating, and organizing sources, with training and mentorship from the IAJS team.
• Build transferable professional skills in project coordination and communications, working across interdisciplinary teams.

Student Responsibilities:

Research support (~70% of the role)

• Help build the initial evidence base for IAJS’s new AI knowledge platform on immigrant integration. This work is primarily desk research: reviewing existing publications and reports and screening them against pre-set criteria for inclusion; identifying relevant organizations, databases, and reports; and coding and organizing data for the platform. 
• Support the REN Collaborative's workshops and convenings by conducting desk research on neighborhood and housing equity, compiling evidence and mapping relevant organizations.  

Program & communications support (~30%)

• Support program coordination and logistics, including identifying and inviting participants, scheduling, and helping run meetings and convenings.
• Help produce communications content about IAJS programs and research, such as social media posts (Instagram, LinkedIn) and newsletters., 
• Provide administrative support (preparing materials, taking notes, tracking follow-ups, and maintaining records) and take part in regular team meetings.

Student Qualifications:

• Current Stanford student in good academic standing; all majors and disciplines are welcome.
• Demonstrated qualitative research and analytical skills.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, able to manage multiple tasks and deadlines with limited supervision; collaborative, reliable, and self-directed.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, including creating content for social media and newsletters.
• Comfort with common collaboration and productivity tools (e.g., Zoom, Asana, Google Workspace, Slack).

A plus (but not required):

• Prior experience running social media accounts or producing newsletters, and familiarity with basic design tools.
• Technical skills relevant to building the AI platform (e.g., Excel, LLM applications). 

Time Commitment

The time commitment is 8–10 hours per week each academic quarter. The expectation is that the student will work the full academic year with IAJS (Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters), with the possibility of continuing through summer.