Current Internships
Information on how to apply for any of the open Internships in the list below see the Terms and conditions of NIDI internships.
RM Internship 2013-1, 6-3-2013 [Status: open]
New patterns of parental investment into children.
Prof. dr. Anne H. Gauthier
This study is part of a broader project called "Families in the Middle" and which aimed at exploring the daily realities, strategies, and functioning of middle-income families in Canada and the United States. For this particular study, the aim will be to understand the nature of parents' investments into their children, as well as their motives and determinants. In particular, we are interested in the role of education, income, and social class, as well as the differences in parental investment by family size.
The data for this project were collected in 2008-2010 and consist in more than 150 qualitative interviews with parents as well as survey data. Under the supervision of the project leader, the intern will be expected to (1) provide assistance with the analysis of the qualitative data (including the writing of analytical memos); and (2) evaluate the relevance of the findings from a European comparative perspective. One of the outputs of this internship project will be the preparation of one article for the bulletin Demos.
Duration 3-4 months.
RM Internship 2012-1, 6-3-2012 [Status: closed (position filled)]
The return migration of students.
Dr. Govert Bijwaard
The international flow of students has grown very rapidly the last decade. Foreign students not only constitute a sizable immigrant share, but are also actively recruited by universities, and international competitiveness in this sector is a chief policy concern. Yet, little is known about their behaviour after graduation. Students have high departure rates. The students that remain may seek employment in the host country. It is also very common for students to find their (future) spouse during or shortly after their studies. Thus many aspects of the behaviour of international students in the host country are unknown. This merits the analysis of return migration behaviour of students in the light of their employment and union formation processes.
Based on unique longitudinal administrative data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on all foreign students entering the Netherlands between 1999 and 2007 a sophisticated duration model will be estimated for the return intensity of these recent migrants. This model also allows us to identify the causal effect of union formation and entry on the labour market on the return migration intensity, correcting for possible endogeneity of the employment and union formation-process, and the return-migration process. A similar method has been used to find the causal effect of labour market changes on the return intensity of labour migrants, see Bijwaard, Schluter and Wahba (2011).
Duration 4 months.
More information: Internship Research Master - The return migration of students.
RM Internship 2011-1, 8-7-2011 [Status: closed (position filled)]
The relationship between paternal social class, son's educational level and anthropometric measures.
Prof. dr. Frans van Poppel
The aim of this study is (a) to find out whether in a historical population an effect of own social position and the social position of the family of origin on height and weight can be observed and (b) whether that effect differs in contexts characterized by similarities but also by differences in childhood living conditions, general height levels, and educational levels of the population. We will study this issue by analyzing the effect of three socioeconomic factors on height and weight in three regions of the Netherlands, characterized by differences in educational level. We will also pay attention to the potential role of religion, a factor which has been used as indirect explanation for regional height differences.
The study population will be military induction medical examination records representing a national cohort of the 408,015 men born 1944-1947 who were alive in their 19th year and were examined when called up for military examination in the Netherlands.
The intern in this project will assist in data analysis and should have a solid basis in quantitative demographic research methodology.
Duration 3-6 months.
RM Internship 2011-2, 8-7-2011 [Status: closed (position filled)]
Historical patterns of maternal mortality in the Netherlands, 1812-1900
Prof. dr. Frans van Poppel
The aim of this study is to describe and explain the long-term development of maternal mortality, its height, and regional variation. We compare Dutch levels with those in other European countries, thereby making use of a linked database with information on all children born alive or as stillborn in the period 1812-1900, in three Dutch provinces. In order to include explanatory factors we have information on various known risk factors such as ages of the mother at the time of birth, social class, parity, number of stillbirths and length of birth intervals.
The intern in this project will assist in data analysis and should have a solid basis in quantitative demographic research methodology.
Duration: 3-6 months.
RM Internship 2011-3, 8-7-2011 [Status: closed (position filled)]
Literature search Demography of regional population decline
Prof. dr. Leo van Wissen
The aim of this study is to collect and describe the state of the art in demographic / population geography literature around the theme of regional population decline. Patterns, causes, consequences, and policy responses are subthemes within this overall population decline theme. The output of this internship project will be: (1) a bibliography of relevant literature (in a suitable program such as Refworks); and (2) a summary of the state of the art as provided in the existing literature. Underlying dimensions in this theme are urbanisation, aging and regional economic change.
The intern will carry do most of the activities him-herself, and is supervised by the project leader.
Duration: 3-4 months.
RM Internship 2011-4, 26-7-2011 [Status: closed (position filled)]
The impact of divorce on return migration of family migrants
Dr. Govert Bijwaard
International migration and the integration of migrants are among the most urgent social, economic and political issues in Europe today. In assessing the impact of migration and integration policies it is often overlooked that many migrants return to their home country or move on to a third country after a short period. When many migrations are temporary and the migrants that re-migrate are more successful then the migrants that remain in the country, then the recruitment or selection of migrants is only part of the issue. We need to know who re-migrates and why, and who stays and why.
Based on unique longitudinal administrative data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) on all family migrants entering the Netherlands between 1999 and 2007 a sophisticated duration model will be estimated for the return intensity of these recent migrants. A duration model takes the time in the country into account and accounts for right-censoring (migrants are only observed till the end of the observation period). This model also allows us to identify the causal effect of divorce on the return migration intensity, correcting for possible endogeneity of the divorce-process and the return-migration process. A similar method has been used to find the causal effect of labour market changes on the return intensity of labour migrants, see Bijwaard, Schluter and Wahba (2011).
The candidate should have a strong quantitative background (BA econometrics) with preferably knowledge of duration models, experience with programming in STATA and interest in migration issues.
Duration: 4 months.
