Skip to content

2026 Institutional Reps Non-Academic Employer Survey

There is a joint interest of APPAM academic and non-academic institutional members for policy and public affairs programs to produce graduates with marketable skills. However, there is little information available about the skills desired of new Masters-level and new Doctorate-level researchers employed by APPAM’s non-academic institutional members.

APPAM launched this data collection in 2019 as a benefit to both our academic and non-academic members to help graduate programs improve the match between the skills of graduates and those desired by research firms. The APPAM Institutional Reps committed to performing the data collection regularly to help identify trends in the data. Our goal is to share the survey results in aggregate in the early spring, and we would greatly appreciate and value your participation and contributions. We will not identify responding institutions.

The survey should only take about 15 minutes of your time. We really appreciate your participation by December 11th.
1.How important are the following research skills in your assessment of candidates for new Masters-level research positions?
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Important
Not applicable (researchers at this level do not typically conduct work that requires these skills)
Basic quantitative data analysis (e.g., descriptive, bivariate, multiple or logistic regression)
Advanced data analysis for causal inference (e.g., propensity score matching, regression discontinuity, synthetic control method)
Other advanced quantitative data analysis
Data analytics (e.g., machine learning, predictive analytics)
Qualitative data analysis
Mixed-methods analysis
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Program evaluation study design: Evaluability assessment
Program evaluation study design: Formative assessment
Program evaluation study design: Summative assessment
Program evaluation study design: Impact Evaluation
Program evaluation study design: Quasi-experimental designs
Program evaluation study design: Implementation studies
Program evaluation study design: Other descriptive studies
Systematic reviews
Survey design
Performance measurement
Policy analysis
Use of GenAI to conduct data analysis
Use of GenAI to design projects
Use of GenAI for other tasks
2.How important are the following research skills in your assessment of candidates for new PhD-level research positions?
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Important
Not applicable (researchers at this level do not typically conduct work that requires these skills)
Basic quantitative data analysis (e.g., descriptive, bivariate, multiple or logistic regression)
Advanced data analysis for causal inference (e.g., propensity score matching, regression discontinuity, synthetic control method)
Other advanced quantitative data analysis
Data analytics (e.g., machine learning, predictive analytics)
Qualitative data analysis
Mixed-methods analysis
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Program evaluation study design: Evaluability assessment
Program evaluation study design: Formative assessment
Program evaluation study design: Summative assessment
Program evaluation study design: Impact Evaluation
Program evaluation study design: Quasi-experimental designs
Program evaluation study design: Implementation studies
Program evaluation study design: Other descriptive studies
Systematic reviews
Survey design
Performance measurement
Policy analysis
Use of GenAI to conduct data analysis
Use of GenAI to design projects
Use of GenAI for other tasks
3.How important are the following writing and communication skills in your assessment of candidates for new Masters-level research positions?
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Important
Not applicable (researchers at this level do not typically conduct work that requires these skills)
Literature reviews
Report writing (e.g., for technical reports, study designs, issue briefs, white papers)
Non-technical writing (e.g., for op-eds, blogs, tweets, online data stories)
Writing for professional journals
Proposal writing (e.g., for grants or contracts)
Ability to translate technical material into non-technical material for a lay audience
Data visualization skills
Oral communication/presentation skills for: Conference Presentation
Oral communication/presentation skills for: Client Interactions
Oral communication/presentation skills for: Business Development Networking Opportunities
Experience working in teams/groups
Use of GenAI to create written materials
Use of GenAI to create visual materials
4.How important are the following writing and communication skills in your assessment of candidates for new PhD-level research positions?
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Important
Not applicable (researchers at this level do not typically conduct work that requires these skills)
Literature reviews
Report writing (e.g., for technical reports, study designs, issue briefs, white papers)
Non-technical writing (e.g., for op-eds, blogs, tweets, online data stories)
Writing for professional journals
Proposal writing (e.g., for grants or contracts)
Ability to translate technical material into non-technical material for a lay audience
Data visualization skills
Oral communication/presentation skills for: Conference presentation
Oral communication/presentation skills for: Client interaction
Oral communication/presentation skills for: Business development networking opportunities
Experience working in teams/groups
Use of GenAI to create written materials
Use of GenAI to create visual materials
5.How important are the following areas of experience in your assessment of candidates for new Masters-level research positions?
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Important
N/A (researchers at this level do not typically conduct work that requires this experience)
Contract or grant budgeting
Project management
Teaching experience
Professional experience in nonacademic organizations (e.g., internships or paid employment)
Expertise in a particular policy area
Experience using GenAI tools in coursework or research
6.How important are the following areas of experience in your assessment of candidates for new PhD-level research positions?
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Important
N/A (researchers at this level do not typically conduct work that requires this experience)
Contract or grant budgeting
Project management
Teaching experience
Professional experience in nonacademic organizations (e.g., internships or paid employment)
Expertise in a particular policy area
Experience using GenAI tools in coursework or research
7.How important are the following other skills or experiences in your assessment of candidates for new Masters-level research position?
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Important
N/A (researchers at this level do not typically conduct work that requires this skill or experience)
A record of publications
Interpersonal skills
8.How important are the following other skills or experiences in your assessment of candidates for new PhD-level research position?
Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Important
N/A (researchers at this level do not typically conduct work that requires this skill or experience)
A record of publications
Interpersonal skills
9.How often are new Masters-level researchers at your organization expected to use the following software packages?
Frequently

Occasionally
Rarely/Never
Study design software (e.g., PowerUp!, Optimal Design)
SAS
STATA
SPSS
R
Python
Machine Learning
MPlus
ARCGIS
Tableau
D3
Git/GitHub
NVivo
Excel
LLMs (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.)
Agentic AI (Claude Code, Codex, etc.)
Other quantitative software, specify below
Other data analytics software, specify below
Other geographic information systems software, specify below
Other qualitative software, specify below
10.How often are new PhD-level researchers at your organization expected to use the following software packages?
Frequently

Occasionally
Rarely/Never
Study design software (e.g., PowerUp!, Optimal Design)
SAS
STATA
SPSS
R
Python
Machine Learning
MPlus
ARCGIS
Tableau
D3
Git/GitHub
NVivo
Excel
LLMs (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.)
Agentic AI (Claude Code, Codex, etc.)
Other quantitative software, specify below
Other data analytics software, specify below
Other geographic information systems software, specify below
Other qualitative software, specify below
11.Where do you recruit candidates for new Masters- or Doctorate-level research positions? (Check all that apply)
12.Compared with your organization’s typical annual hiring over the past three years, how many PhD-level positions do you expect your organization to hire for in the current hiring cycle?
13.Compared with your organization’s typical annual hiring over the past three years, how many Masters-level positions do you expect your organization to hire for in the current hiring cycle?
14.Looking beyond the current hiring cycle, how do you expect your organization’s hiring for policy-related positions to change over the next 2–3 years?
15.Please leave any general comments below.
16.Please leave your name and the name of your institution. It will be used for follow up purposes only, we will not reveal responding institutions.