For agencies, faculty & policy organizations

Work with REL

Bring a meaningful economic or policy question. Work with a student research team to turn data into a transparent, useful analysis.

A research partnership, built around a real question.

Rutgers Economics Labs (REL) is a student-driven technical research group at Rutgers University. We provide pro bono economic analysis for government agencies and public policy organizations, and welcome conversations with faculty about scoped empirical research.

Our projects connect student learning with a concrete research need. We agree on the question, available evidence, scope, and deliverables before a team begins.

Discuss a research question

Where we can contribute

From public data to a usable research output.

Economic & policy analysis

Investigate a policy question with descriptive statistics, comparisons, or econometric methods suited to the available evidence.

Data & projections

Collect and reconcile public datasets, document definitions, and explore demographic or economic scenarios.

Research communication

Translate methods and findings into reproducible notebooks, visualizations, dashboards, or a written research brief.

The final scope and output depend on the question, data readiness, student capacity, and partner agreement.

What makes a strong partnership?

A focused question, accessible data, and an engaged partner matter more than a large project brief. We look for work that gives students room to investigate, interpret, and revise—not simply produce a chart.

Explore past REL projects →

  1. Define the question together

    Discuss the context, relevant literature, intended audience, and what is feasible.

  2. Confirm scope and data access

    Agree on responsibilities, milestones, privacy requirements, and any necessary ethics or institutional approvals.

  3. Review work along the way

    A responsive partner helps resolve domain questions and gives feedback on intermediate work.

  4. Deliver with the limitations visible

    Document sources, assumptions, and uncertainty. Public release of partner work requires permission.

Before you get in touch

Does REL charge for research?

Our economic research work is pro bono. Project acceptance depends on fit, scope, data readiness, and team capacity.

Can a Rutgers faculty member propose a project?

Yes. We welcome conversations about focused empirical work. A project may be narrower than a full semester-long external engagement; the scope and supervision should be agreed in advance.

Is every project or dataset published?

No. Some partner work is private. Publication and data handling are agreed with the partner; completing a project does not make its records public.

Is this a consulting service with guaranteed results?

REL is a student research group. We cannot guarantee a particular finding, placement of a team, or turnaround before reviewing a proposed scope.

Start with the question.

Email a short description to rel@rutgerseconomics.org. We can begin by discussing whether the work is a fit.

Email REL ↗See how students work →