PCAOB Solicits Candidates for Economic Research Fellowships for the 2014-2015 Academic Year

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board today announced that it is seeking researchers to fill several newly created fellowship positions.

"The PCAOB will greatly benefit from this partnership with academics and research professionals who have an expressed interest in topics relevant to the Board's work," said James R. Doty, PCAOB Chairman.

The Fellows will be part of the PCAOB's new Center for Economic Analysis that the Board established to study the role and relevance of the audit in capital formation and investor protection, and to promote and encourage related economic research.

The fellowships will start in August 2014 and continue for 12 months. Candidates should have an active interest in auditing, the capital markets and regulatory oversight matters.

"Auditing is critical to investor protection in our capital markets and deserves the sophisticated attention of our best researchers. These fellowships offer researchers access to professionals with deep practical experience in auditing and audit oversight," said Professor Luigi Zingales, Founding Director of the PCAOB's Center for Economic Analysis.

Both Senior Fellow and Fellow positions are available. Ideal applicants for Senior Fellow positions should have a doctoral degree in economics, finance, accounting, or a related area.

Applicants for Fellow positions should have completed all course work in a doctoral program in economics, finance, accounting, or a related area, and should be actively performing research and writing a dissertation.

In particular, all Fellows will have the opportunity to identify and conduct research on auditing matters that will inform the oversight activities of the PCAOB in protecting investors. These include:

• the role and relevance of the audit in capital markets;
• the effectiveness of the audit in facilitating capital formation and protecting investors;
• the role of the audit in promoting access to public markets for small enterprises;
• the effects of audit and financial reporting failures on financial markets.

Additional details on the fellowship positions and the application process are available on the PCAOB website. Applications are due no later than April 18, 2014.