ILR Worker Institute Research Fellowship Program

At its heart, the Worker Institute views its work as a contribution to reversing the growing inequality, now at historic levels, which undermines the economic and social sustainability of a vibrant democratic society.  The Institute provides the nation’s most comprehensive education, training, research, and organizational support for union leaders and worker advocates.  Worker Institute research fellows, sometimes in small teams, will have the opportunity to work directly with Ithaca-based faculty and ILR labor extension faculty based in NYC.

The fellowship program’s goal is to provide ILR students with a unique opportunity to contribute to important projects concerning workers and unions, expand their research skills, learn about potential career paths and interact with faculty, labor leaders and other fellows.

The main selection criteria include a strong academic record and a demonstrated interest in one of the Worker Institute’s research areas. 

The Boundary of Paid Care Work: Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Program
What is the boundary between paid and unpaid care work when the government pays families
and relatives to take care of Medicaid patients? This project investigates the boundary of paid
work through the experiences of home care workers in the Consumer-Directed Personal
Assistance Program (CDPAP). Student fellows will facilitate/transcribe/code interviews, collect
and analyze policy documents, and collect and review literature. We are particularly interested in
students who can work in Spanish or Mandarin, but all candidates will be considered. - with
Yiran Zhang and Zoë West