CEGA Fellowship: Special Call

Spring 2025 Request for Applications

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) empowers low- and middle-income country (LMIC) scholars to generate rigorous evidence on economic development in their home regions (see Global Networks). In this call, CEGA invites scholars from sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America to participate in a four-month rigorous research fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley, to be completed during the Spring 2025 (January-May) academic semester.

This call is limited to specific topics and geographies. Please see additional requirements in the RFA.:

1) Displacement: Fellows in the “Displacement” track will be supported to study the effectiveness of programs designed to improve the lives and livelihoods of refugee, migrant and host community families—especially “two-generation” approaches that integrate early childhood development (ECD) and livelihood interventions. For this track, we will prioritize fellows conducting relevant research in Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, and Uganda. 

2) Early Childhood Development: Fellows in the “ECD” track will be supported to study the effectiveness of programs that support good health, adequate nutrition, safety and security, responsive caregiving, and opportunities for early learning—especially for children 0-3 years of age. For this track, we will prioritize fellows conducting relevant research in Tanzania, Mozambique, and Kenya.

3) Youth Livelihoods: Fellows in the “Youth Livelihoods” track will study the effectiveness of programs designed to help young people (ages 16-24) find meaningful work by delivering education, skills training, and comprehensive support. For this track, we will prioritize fellows conducting relevant research in Kenya—especially in the city of Mombasa.

Note that this is a special call separate from the general CEGA fellowship call which supports African scholars interested in economic development research broadly. The general call will be released in November 2024.

Eligibility

This fellowship will have three “tracks,” each with a different geographic and research focus, as described above. Please carefully consult the criteria below.

Please carefully consult the criteria below.

For all fellowships, applicants must: 

• • Be fluent in English.
  • Identify as an “LMIC scholar,” which CEGA defines as a researcher raised and educated (at least through secondary school) in a low- or middle-income country. Preference will be given to applicants who are from the country (or region) where they plan to conduct research during their fellowship, although applicants currently living outside of these countries will be considered. For the displacement track, we will give preference to individuals with lived experience of displacement, including refugees, internally displaced peoples (IDPs), asylum seekers, returned refugees, returned IDPs, individuals under UNHCR’s statelessness mandate, members of host communities, and other groups or persons of concern to UNHCR (UNHCR). Note that citizenship will not be considered in determining eligibility for this fellowship. 
  • Have completed a PhD within the last 8 years, or be enrolled in a PhD program in economics, statistics, epidemiology/public health, migration studies, or another social science discipline. We will consider candidates who have completed a Masters degree and are considering a PhD, in exceptional cases only. Please state your intent to pursue a PhD in your personal statement, or explain why the Masters is the terminal degree in your field;
  • Have a current affiliation with a research institution, university or other research organization, preferably one that supports policy-relevant, quantitative social science research;
  • Plan to return to a university or research institute in their home country or region after the fellowship;

Women and people with a lived experience of forced displacement are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application

To respond to this RFA, please submit the following information and documents through this Submittable portal by Monday, July 15th at 5 PM GMT:

1. Personal Statement (2 pages)
2. Curriculum Vitae/Resume
3. Transcript
4. Research Plan (2 pages, not including references)
5. Evidence of Leave Approval
6. Letters of Recommendation (1 required):
7. Optional Attachments

Questions? Please contact Mansi Kalra at mkalra@berkeley.edu, or schedule an office hours appointment to discuss your application using the following link.