Predoctoral fellowship program

An interdisciplinary training program that equips researchers to improve outcomes and address inequalities in education

Learn more about the Causal Inference in Education Research Seminar here

U-M’s interdisciplinary Causal Inference in Education Policy Research (CIEPR) Predoctoral Fellowship program offers three- and four-year fellowships to doctoral students interested in learning how to use causal research methods to evaluate educational policies and practices spanning early childhood to students going into the labor market.

Participating fellows take required courses, work closely with core faculty in research apprenticeships, participate in research workshops, network with eminent education policy scholars, and gain professional skills like presenting research to a range of audiences, writing small and large grant proposals, and building research practitioner partnerships. Most importantly, fellows are part of a community of doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and staff who share in their passion for improving outcomes across U.S. education.

Program core faculty from U-M’s School of Education, Public Policy, Economics, and Sociology teach core courses, participate in the fellow selection process, mentor and advise fellows, manage the fellows' research apprenticeships, and work closely with fellows to ensure their success. Fellows supported by the program will receive an annual stipend, full tuition support, fringe benefits, and a research allowance to support further professional development activities.

Graduates of the Predoctoral Fellowship program have gone on to successful careers in academia and other research organizations, some of whom now serve in leadership positions within local and state education agencies.

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Coursework

Required coursework will provide formal training in quantitative methods and contextual knowledge about education policy, institutions, and practice. Students will select most courses based on their research interests and in consultation with the program director. Many courses will satisfy both degree and training program requirements.
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Research apprenticeships

Fellows to learn all phases of the research process, gain hands-on experience working with student-level, longitudinal, administrative datasets, develop expertise in coding and statistical analysis, and cultivate their professional skills. They spend at least one year on a project that is conducted in partnership with an education practitioner or policymaker.
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Seminar & research colloquium

The seminar brings together and supports an interdisciplinary community of scholars interested in education-related topics. We value research that contributes to ongoing academic, policy, and practice conversations and we view our seminar and research colloquia as a classroom that prepares members for careers in research and policy.
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More Predoc Fellow News

Current fellow

Jennifer Trigger

Jennifer Trigger is a doctoral student at the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education and an IES predoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan. Her research interests include education policy, higher education finance, geographic inequality, and students’ post-secondary educational and labor market outcomes. Previously, she worked at Chile’s National Council of Education in Santiago, at the think tank Michigan Future in Ann Arbor, and as a high school teacher in Chicago. Jennifer graduated from the University of Michigan with an MA in Secondary Education and a BA in History and English.
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Current fellow

Kenneth Hofmeister

Kenny Hofmeister is a PhD student in Economics at the University of Michigan. His research interests span the economics of education, labor economics, and econometrics. Prior to starting at Michigan, he worked as a research associate at the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab. He graduated with a BA from Washington University in St. Louis and an MPP from the University of California, Berkeley.
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Current fellow

Michelle C. García

Michelle C. García is a doctoral student at the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education and an IES predoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan. Her research interests include higher education policy and finance, particularly evaluating interventions that support equitable access and success in postsecondary education and labor market outcomes. Previously, she worked as a research associate at WestEd. She earned a master’s degree in Education Policy with a specialization in Data Analysis and Research Methods from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree in Social Welfare with minors in Public Policy and Education from the University of California, Berkeley.
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Institute of Education Sciences

Ongoing support

The predoctoral training program is supported by $8.6M in grant funds from the Institute of Education Sciences (R305B150012 & R305B200011), as well as by the University of Michigan's Rackham Graduate School, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, School of Education, Department of Economics, and the College of Literature, Science and the Arts.
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