Markets can place enormous value on firms producing enjoyable products far removed from basic human needs—say, mobile games selling in-app virtual goods. Or they may highly value financial products, like cryptocurrencies, that are arguably disconnected from material well-being. Other highly valued technologies, like LLMs, have the potential to create massive economic benefit—but exactly how much is anyone’s guess. How do firms, governments, and investors come to value new kinds of capital? And what are the implications of these developments for a “K-shaped” economy—one in which asset-holders thrive while others struggle?

Position available for 1-3 students (undergrad or grad, work-study or not, please specify when applying) for research assistance with a book project taking a historical approach to understanding how we place an economic value on human activities, how those methods have changed over time, and the broader distributional and political consequences of those changes.

Key duties and responsibilities

RA(s) would support the project by identifying and synthesizing sources of descriptive quantitative evidence to scope changes described in the book over the past 50 years. Expectations would vary with academic level and background, but might include:

• Researching how particular statistics and measurements are constructed (e.g. how intangible assets are treated in GDP calculations)
• Researching how firms report and value different types of assets in financial disclosures
• Mapping the scope and scale of historically recent forms of capitalization (of platforms, data, structured finance, intellectual property)
• Reviewing academic literature on the distributional effects of an “asset economy” on economic inequality.

The work involves both systematic data gathering from government sources and careful unpacking of measurement choices in national accounting and corporate reporting, as well as being able to effectively convey those findings in writing and conversation. The position will begin with structured onboarding, including readings to orient RAs to the project.

*pay rate commensurate with level and experience.

Required qualifications

• An interest in the project
• Comfort learning about the details of economic measurement processes (e.g. how GDP calculations are made, how corporate financial reports work) and the ability to accurately document and share what you learn
• Approximately 10 hours a week of time availability
• Ability to effectively self-manage between weekly meetings

Desired qualifications (if any)

• Demonstrated background working with economic, accounting, or government data
• For graduate students, familiarity with relevant literatures in critical political economy (on capitalization, assetization), economic sociology, or science and technology studies (e.g. on measurement and quantification)

Duration of the appointment (start and anticipated end date)

Start as soon as possible; position to run till April 30. Looking for at least one person who would continue into the 2026-27 academic year, and who can step into a leadership role supervising UROP students in Fall 2026. Part-time summer employment a possibility if desired.

Submit a resume and an email explaining your interest and fit with the position to Elizabeth Popp Berman, Professor of Organizational Studies, at epberman@umich.edu. Please specify if you are grad or undergrad, if you have work-study, and if you are potentially available beyond Winter 2026. Applications received by Friday, Jan. 16 will be guaranteed consideration.