R&D; at the frontier of behavioral science and AI.

We’re looking for late PhD-level Applied Research Fellows to join us for 3-4 months. This role is designed for students whose fellowship is funded by their university or an external academic program The Decision Lab is an applied research and innovation firm. We use behavioral science and AI to help ambitious organizations create a better future, working with the Gates Foundation, the World Bank, Capital One and dozens of Fortune 500s, and running one of the largest publications in applied behavioral science.

At the heart of the fellowship is your own R&D.; You’ll develop new research at the intersection of behavioral science and AI, supervised by senior researchers who work on these questions every day. You’ll then apply it to a real project, testing your ideas in the field with large clients and gaining consulting experience as you go.

In the past, we have helped organizations such as the Gates Foundation, Capital One, the World Bank, and many Fortune 500s solve some of their thorniest problems using scientific thinking.

Everything we do at TDL is guided by SPICE: Socially conscious, Pragmatic, Inventive, Catalytic, and Evidence-based. You can read more about us and our core values here.

What you'll be working on

This internship is structured as an applied research placement, designed to complement graduate-level training and provide exposure to how behavioral science & AI are used outside of purely academic settings.

Many of our current projects sit at the intersection of behavioral science and AI, including human-AI interaction, algorithmic decision-making, and responsible AI. Our past work has included partnering with Mila to behaviorally optimize an AI-powered COVID-19 contact tracing app, and building Hikai, an AI-powered CBT chatbot for workplace mental health.

We are also actively developing Artificial Populations, a platform that uses synthetic participants to run focus groups, surveys, and interviews - getting decision-ready insights in hours rather than weeks.

Fellows interested in gaining applied AI experience will find no shortage of opportunities to do so here. Interns work on clearly scoped projects under the supervision of senior staff and contribute to ongoing research and consulting initiatives like these, with an emphasis on learning-by-doing, methodological rigor, and translating academic insights into real-world contexts.

Broadly, the role involves a mix of:

Research & Analysis (approximately 70%)

- Conducting structured literature reviews and evidence syntheses
- Supporting experimental design, measurement strategies, and analysis plans
- Assisting with behavioral diagnostics and research frameworks
- Contributing to research notes, working papers, policy briefs, or public-facing research outputs
- Participating in internal research discussions and reviews

Applied Research Translation & Consulting Exposure (approximately 40%)

- Supporting applied research projects with public- and private-sector partners
- Translating research findings into practical insights and recommendations
- Preparing client-facing deliverables (reports, deck, briefs) that translate research into actionable insights for external partners
- Observing how academic research is adapted for policy, organizational, or technological contexts

The balance between research and applied work may vary slightly depending on project needs and the intern’s academic background.

Qualifications

Must-haves:





- Current late stage PhD student in a relevant discipline (e.g., psychology, AI, economics, public policy, cognitive science, behavioral science, data science, or a related field)
- Familiarity with behavioral science concepts and methods, such as experimental design, causal inference, behavioral interventions, or decision-making research
- Strong curiosity about AI - a tinkering mindset that makes you want to try things and see how they work
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, including the ability to conduct literature reviews, research syntheses, or empirical analysis to support research questions
- Clear written communication skills in English, particularly for research summaries and analytical writing
- Ability to work independently on scoped research tasks while engaging collaboratively with a research team
- Ability & desire to leverage AI tools (e.g. Cursor, Claude Code, etc.) to accelerate writing, coding & analysis work

Preferred (but not required)

- Exposure to applied research, policy analysis, or consulting-style work
- Familiarity with AI-related topics (e.g., human–AI interaction, algorithmic decision-making, misinformation, or responsible AI), though technical expertise is not required
- Interest in applied, policy-adjacent, or non-academic research career pathways
- We recognize that students come from diverse academic traditions. Candidates are not expected to meet every criterion to be considered a strong fit.

We're flexible on start dates but ideally looking for a January start, and happy to work around your academic schedule and program commitments.

Hear From Our Fellows

Naga Thovinakere | Health behavior change

"TDL's fellowship program is a great fit for anyone wanting to apply scientific rigor beyond academia. You're not just learning about behavioral science in the abstract - you're getting exposure on how it is used to inform product decisions on actual consulting engagements. If you care deeply about methodological rigor but also want your work to drive meaningful outcomes, you'll find this experience especially rewarding."

Maya Low | LLMs & mental health

“This fellowship is a great opportunity for PhD students looking to broaden their horizons both in a research discipline outside their own and in a working environment different from academia. It's been eye-opening to watch research translate into practice and to imagine recent paths for myself after my degree. On top of that, everyone at TDL is genuinely welcoming and happy to talk about their work!”

How to apply To apply, please submit:

- A short CV (1–2 pages) outlining your academic background and relevant experience
- A brief statement of interest (up to 200 words) describing:

- Your academic focus and current program
- Your interest in applied behavioral science research
- How this internship aligns with your training or career goals

- 2-3 samples of your work





Please note that this position is unpaid because it is meant to target PhD students who are already funded - either by their home program or through special programs at their home institution (e.g., graduate internship fellowships, doctoral internship programs, mobility awards). We do not accept candidates who want to work for free, as this unfairly prioritizes those with privileged backgrounds. To this end, please indicate your source of funding in your statement.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a brief conversation to discuss research interests, supervision structure, and alignment with current projects.

FAQs

Will publications or research outputs from the fellowship be affiliated with my home institution?

All research conducted during the fellowship is the intellectual property of The Decision Lab. That said, authorship is determined by contribution, so if you lead a project, you'll be credited as first author, and so on. We're happy to discuss specific publication or IP questions in more detail during the interview process.

Will I collaborate with external organizations?

Yes. Many projects involve close collaboration with external partners, including nonprofits, government agencies, research institutes, foundations, and private-sector organizations. The level of interaction varies by project.

Are you flexible on the start date?

We typically run three (3) fellowship cohorts each year:

- Early September – Mid December
- Mid January – End of April
- Early May – Mid August

We prefer fellows to start with one of these cohorts so they can engage with and learn alongside their peers throughout the program. However, we understand that individual circumstances vary, and we're happy to consider exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

What are the working hours?

The fellowship runs 16 weeks, at 37.5 hours per week, 9 AM–5 PM EST.

What does a typical week look like?

Once you're onboarded to your project, a typical week includes one or two internal team meetings alongside independent research, literature reviews, analysis, writing, and collaboration with your project team. Some projects also include regular meetings or presentations with partner organizations.

Is there an opportunity to continue working with The Decision Lab after the fellowship?

While the fellowship is a fixed-term position, we always enjoy continuing to work with fellows who are a strong mutual fit. Although there's no guarantee of a permanent role, exceptional performance during the fellowship is certainly recognized and may lead to future opportunities.

What can I expect to gain from the fellowship?

Fellows gain hands-on experience applying behavioral science to real-world challenges while working alongside experienced researchers and consultants. Depending on your projects and contributions, you may have opportunities to:

- Contribute to publications and thought leadership.
- Build a portfolio of applied research experience.
- Work directly with leading organizations across sectors.
- Expand your professional network.
- Develop skills in research, analysis, writing, and client collaboration.

TDL IS AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Research has found that women and people from marginalized backgrounds are more likely to feel that they’re unqualified for a position if they can’t check 100% of the boxes on the posting. So we’re telling you directly: you don’t need to be the perfect candidate in order to be a positive fit for this role. If you’re a curious, communicative, and passionate person who loves to write about science, we want to hear from you.

📌 Applied Research Fellow (January 2027 cohort) (Montreal)
🏢 The Decision Lab
📍 Montreal