Research Assistant, Congress and American National Government

The ideal applicant will have experience conducting research on Congress and American national government including on one or more of the issues listed above, and must be able to work as part of a collaborative team. Strong research, writing, and presentation skills are essential.  Candidates with strong data analysis skills (e.g., R, STATA, SAS, SPSS, Excel) are especially encouraged to apply.

The Research Assistant will support CRS analysts in their objective, nonpartisan public policy analysis for and consultation with congressional clients. 

The duties of the Research Assistant include:

• Supporting the work of analysts preparing analytical and descriptive written products that inform congressional understanding of public policy issues and consideration of policy proposals.
• Participating in group efforts on research projects as a member of a collaborative team and undertaking research and data analytical tasks in support of the development of an array of analytical and descriptive products or components.
• Performing literature searches and reviews, and evaluating publications and analyses for authoritativeness, relevance, and currency. Recommending documents for use by analysts and preparing abstracts of descriptive and analytical underlying materials.
• Locating, extracting, collecting, and/or compiling quantitative data and other information; interpreting and evaluating data for accuracy, relevance, authoritativeness, and usefulness; identifying and resolving problems with data; and formatting data to meet targeted, well-defined research needs.
• Creating and populating databases and spreadsheets, reformatting and standardizing data from different sources, and performing data input, calculations, and analysis. Informing colleagues on the content, nature, and use of data resources.
• Formatting a range of tables, graphs, images, and other components of CRS products, reviewing and verifying this content for accuracy and completeness. Recommending quality control procedures and making suggestions to improve and enhance these components.
• Conducting research and preparing materials for use at consultations, briefings, and seminars for congressional clients. Attending consultations, briefings, seminars, and outreach activities to gain familiarity with CRS’s information and analytic capabilities, record questions, and otherwise assist analysts.

CRS works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS has been a valued and respected resource on Capitol Hill for more than a century.

CRS is well known for analysis that is authoritative, confidential, objective, and nonpartisan. Its highest priority is to ensure that Congress has immediate access to the nation's best thinking on public policy issues of interest to its Members and Committees.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that ensures the Service is well positioned to anticipate and meet the information and analytical research needs of a 21st-century Congress.

The position description number for this position is 460699.

The salary range indicated reflects the locality pay adjustments for the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.

The incumbent of this position may work a flextime work schedule.

The tour of duty for this position is full-time.

This is a non-supervisory, bargaining unit position.

Relocation expenses will not be authorized for the person(s) selected under this vacancy announcement.