From the Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists (WAPA):

The U.S. Census Bureau seeks up to 18 ethnographers to conduct short-term paid contract research for 4-6 months during Census 2010 data collection operations. The study aims to address the issue of persistent differential census miscounts of some race/ethnic subpopulations. Contract ethnographers will receive training at the Census Bureau, then conduct coordinated evaluations of enumeration methods and census coverage in designated race/ethnic communities. The researcher will go to a designated race/ethnic site for 7-9 continuous days during a census data collection operation. He/She will accompany a census interviewer, observe and tape the census interview, then conduct an on-the-spot ad hoc debriefing to resolve any anomalies in who should be counted in the household and/or in household structure.

The researcher will observe/tape/debrief in 35 households, prepare transcripts and case studies, and write a site report identifying types and sources of coverage error, which types of households and persons are at coverage error risk, and other factors affecting enumeration as well as assessing the extent to which coverage errors vary among race/ethnic groups. We seek experienced qualitative researchers who have done or are currently doing research in the U.S. in one or more of the following race/ethnic communities: American Indian (reservation), Alaska Native, African American, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and non-Hispanic white. To be considered, each researcher must be a U.S. citizen, send in all application materials, and must commit in writing to do the research in his/her designated research site for 7-9 days during one of these three time periods: March 29-April 9 (Indian reservation), May 5-22 (the other sites), or August 30-September 30 (all sites).

For more information on the study and how to apply, please send an e-mail with “Request for Information on 2010 Census Evaluation Contracts” in the subject line to all three of the following: Laurel.K.Schwede@census.gov, Rodney.Terry@census.gov, and Matthew.Clifton@census.gov.  The deadlines for sending in complete applications are February 1 (for the Indian reservation in March) and February 10 for the Indian reservation in August and for all other sites from March to August.