The Success Lab, a collaborative learning and research hub led by Dr. Amity Doolittle based out of the Yale School of the Environment (YSE), seeks to hire a part-time research assistant position during Spring 2026 with an interest in social environmental research, environmental governance and international development. The Lab’s mission is to understand the role of environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) in driving environmental and social change at community and local levels. Our work focuses on how to understand and communicate ENGO’s impact and the factors contributing to their success in driving positive social-environmental transformation.

The Research Assistant position will support the work of the Senior Research Fellow, whose fellowship is focused on synthesizing and applying lessons from environmental governance, climate change, and conservation programs—particularly in the context of the reshaping of international development assistance and priorities. The position will be embedded within the Success Lab’s applied, case-based research environment and will contribute to work that bridges academic analysis, practitioner experience, and policy-relevant synthesis. The position is designed to be time-bounded and feasible alongside the student’s academic commitments, while offering meaningful exposure to real-world policy debates, professional networks, and applied research processes.

The research assistant will be supervised by Success Lab Senior Research Fellow Stephen Brooks and collaborate closely with Dr. Amity Doolittle and Program Director Liz Felker. The lab will meet weekly virtually.

Under the guidance of the Senior Research Fellow and in coordination with Success Lab leadership, the Research Assistant will support a selection of the following activities based on experience and interest fit and lab priorities.  

1. Literature Review & Research Support
•    Assist with identifying, reviewing, and organizing selected academic and grey literature related to Environmental governance and conservation outcomes; land tenure programming; and participatory and place-based approaches in international development.
•    Support the compilation and organization of legacy USAID materials (e.g., technical reports, toolkits, policy papers) relevant to environmental governance and conservation, with attention to preserving institutional learning following USAID’s closure.
•    Prepare annotated summaries or short research memos under clear guidance. 

2. Applied Research & Knowledge Synthesis
•    Provide background research support for ongoing Success Lab analyses linking environmental governance to ENGO effectiveness and place-based impact.
•    Assist in organizing source materials that contribute to:
o    Policy briefs
o    Short blogs or commentary pieces
o    Internal concept notes or briefing materials
•    Support synthesis tasks through note-taking, document formatting, and reference management.

3. Organization & Communications Assistance
•    Help organize research outputs, interview notes, and reference libraries using shared document systems.
•    Support light communications tasks such as:
o    Formatting draft briefs or blogs
o    Organizing content for internal or external dissemination

Learning Opportunities & Professional Exposure
This position is intentionally structured to provide the student with:
•    Exposure to senior-level practitioners, scholars, and policy actors working in conservation, environmental governance, and land tenure.
•    Insight into how academic research informs policy and practice during periods of institutional transition.
•    Opportunities to observe and contribute to expert convenings, applied research synthesis, and policy-relevant writing within a supportive academic setting.