Undergraduate Research Assistant, California-China Climate Institute
The California-China Climate Institute (CCCI) is a university-wide initiative of the University of California, housed jointly at UC Berkeley’s School of Law through its Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, and the College of Natural Resources. The Institute also works closely with other University of California campuses, departments and leaders. Through joint research, training and dialogue in and between California and China, CCCI aims to inform policymakers, foster cooperation and partnership and drive climate solutions at all levels.
We are seeking an undergraduate student to assist CCCI with general research tasks. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to work independently. The position will provide research experience, while also offering exposure to CCCI’s mission in action. The student will have opportunities to attend our events and contribute to CCCI’s climate and environmental research projects.
Responsibilities
The Undergraduate Research Assistant will support a range of CCCI research activities, including subnational climate action tracking, energy transition research, and other related projects. Responsibilities may include:
• Collect, review, and organize information relevant to assigned research projects.
• Verify and cross-check information from company reports, government documents, commercial databases, news sources, academic literature, and other publicly available sources.
• Maintain accurate and well-organized source records, citations, and research notes to support transparency and quality control.
• Clean, organize, update, and maintain structured datasets using Excel, Google Sheets, or similar tools.
• Identify inconsistencies across sources and datasets and flag missing, uncertain, or conflicting information for review by the research team.
• Support basic data analysis and prepare summary tables on topics such as technology trends, regional distribution, financing patterns, emissions estimates, and project status.
• Maintain research documentation, datasets, and project archives in an organized and accessible manner.
• Support the preparation and communication of research findings and other project outputs.
• Participate in regular research meetings and ad hoc discussions.
• Complete assigned tasks according to agreed timelines and promptly communicate any anticipated delays or changes.
Qualifications
Required:
• Currently enrolled undergraduate student.
• Strong interest in climate, energy, international development, China, global infrastructure finance, or related fields.
• Excellent attention to detail and the ability to accurately track sources, citations, and data changes accurately.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to work independently.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets.
• Strong written communication skills and the ability to summarize findings clearly and concisely.
• Ability to handle research materials and unpublished data with discretion.
Preferred:
• Reading proficiency in Chinese.
• Experience conducting policy, energy, infrastructure, finance, or environmental research.
• Familiarity with power-sector terminology (e.g., technology types, capacity, commissioning status, and emissions).
• Experience working with structured datasets, data cleaning, or database management.
• Familiarity with citation tracking or systematic literature/news review.
• Basic experience with R, Python, or similar data-analysis tools.
• Interest in Chinese overseas finance, Belt and Road Initiative energy projects, or global energy transition trends.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and applicants will be contacted via email for an interview. This is a part-time position with a flexible schedule of 10–15 hours per week. The pay rate is between $20.00 and $25.00 per hour. To apply, please submit your resume and a brief cover letter to ccci@berkeley.edu.