Remote Fellowship: Zambia Mining and Local Development

Overview

UC Berkeley’s Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) invites scholars to apply for a competitive research fellowship. CEGA will select one scholar from Zambia to participate in a remote (Zambia-based) quantitative research fellowship, to be completed during the Fall 2026 academic semester (August – December 2026). There is a possibility of extension to the Spring 2027 academic semester (January-May 2027), contingent on strong performance.

Preference will be given to applicants currently based in Zambia who have research experience in development economics or related disciplines (see detailed eligibility criteria below). The fellowship will be focused on developing the research skills to evaluate the social and economic impacts of the Mingomba copper mine in Chililabombwe, Zambia—the world’s highest-grade undeveloped copper deposit—in collaboration with KoBold Metals. The fellow will work in close collaboration with Zambia-based Co-Investigator Dale Mudenda (University of Zambia), as well as PI Jonathan Weigel (UC Berkeley), and Co-Investigators Edward Miguel (UC Berkeley), and Anja Benshaul-Tolonen (Barnard College, Columbia University).

In Fall 2026, this fellow will join the project’s research team, attend weekly calls, assist with a literature review, data collection, data cleaning and other research activities. CEGA is recruiting an early career scholar, who is currently admitted to and/or enrolled in a PhD program at a Zambian University. Working within this existing study, the fellow will have a structured project and a supportive team to support professional development.

There will be a performance review in December 2026, and contingent upon strong performance, CEGA will continue to offer further support for an additional 6 months. This support will entail extended work and new deliverables on this project, along with access to CEGA training, staff office hours, and continued mentorship. We will also provide mentorship support to utilize the project’s existing secondary data to pursue an independent research project and/or cultivate their own proposal based on personal research interests.

For this track, we will prioritize fellows from Zambia. Applications will open on May 1st. Apply here by May 31st.

During the fellowship, visiting researchers will:

Work on an existing research project focused on social and economic impacts of the exploitation of KoBold’s Mingomba copper mine with mentorship from Dale Mudenda (University of Zambia), Jonathan Weigel, Edward Miguel (UC Berkeley), and Anja Benshaul-Tolonen (Barnard/Columbia).
Contribute to the development and implementation of survey instruments for a panel survey of 4,000 households across 400 villages, including sampling design, census operations, and field protocols.
Coordinate with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) Zambia on field implementation, quality control, and data management.
Participate in baseline and endline data collection for a worker regression discontinuity (RD) study, leveraging applicant scoring data from KoBold to credibly estimate the causal impact of mine employment on household welfare.
Support statistical analysis of panel and RD data using Stata, R, or Python, contributing to both academic outputs and policy-facing publications.
Facilitate connections with Zambian academic partners, local stakeholders, and international organizations to ensure policy relevance and dissemination.

The scholar will also receive general benefits from being a fellow, including:

Be matched with a peer partner involved in the existing research project for collaboration and feedback;
Participate in tailored, hands-on modules on research transparency and reproducibility, research communication skills, qualitative data collection and analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, data science, and other topics of special interest;
Engage in supplementary skills training, such as leadership, communications, public speaking, writing and language translation, navigating the publication process, and translating research for non-academic audiences;
Networking opportunities with CEGA affiliates and the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA);
Fellows will be paid upon deliverable, for a total of $3000.

Post-Fellowship Support

After successful completion of the fellowship, fellows will receive:

Sponsorship to attend a gathering of researchers and evidence practitioners (either CEGA’s annual Africa Evidence Summit, or another dissemination event). These events will provide fellows with the opportunity to present research and network with scholars and partners.
Eligibility to apply to a pilot research award ($10,000) to enable the fellow to conduct a follow-up study related to this project, for a related research project, or a project related to the fellows’ dissertation.

Eligibility

Please carefully consult the criteria below. For the Fellowship, applicants must:

Be fluent in English.
Be based in Zambia. Preference will be given to Zambian nationals.
Are currently admitted and/or enrolled in a PhD program at a Zambian university in economics, statistics, epidemiology/public health, or another social science discipline.
Be able to dedicate approximately 15-20 hours per week for the CEGA Fellowship.
We will give preference to individuals who have existing research projects or experience in development economics or related disciplines.

Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application Process

To respond to this RFA, please submit the following information and documents through this Submittable portal by Sunday, May 31st, at 5pm GMT:

1) A CV containing personal information and academic/professional background,

2) 1-page personal statement

3) A 2 minute, self-recorded video explaining motivation for the fellowship

4) Letter from Supervisor or from Faculty Advisor granting permission to participate in this fellowship. A signed letter will suffice.

5) Contact info for a referee who can speak to your research capacity, quantitative skills, and qualifications for the CEGA fellowship.

6) Research Plan (2 pages): Please describe the research topic, in primarily quantitative social sciences and use impact evaluation methods (experimental or quasi-experimental). This can either be a proposal for:

a) an existing study OR
b) new research study.

Refer to Appendix A “Instructions for Research Proposal” and Appendix B “Research Proposal Example” below.

Applicants currently enrolled in a PhD program are encouraged to draw from or adapt their existing dissertation or research proposal. Please note that this research plan is for application evaluation purposes only, and will not form the basis of your work during the fellowship.

7) OPTIONAL: Applicants may attach one working paper or publication.

We encourage you to be mindful about AI assistance in preparing your application: we are interested in learning your own ideas and motivations. If you do decide to utilize AI ,in preparing your submission, please include a statement indicating how it was used.

We may run into delays with the recruitment process, and appreciate your patience. If you’re experiencing a technical difficulty or have a question before the submission deadline, please direct any questions to global-networks-cega@berkeley.edu

SUBMIT APPLICATION MATERIALS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

Can applicants who are not pursuing a degree in economics apply?

We accept applicants from all social science disciplines. We encourage you to review the profiles of previous CEGA fellows to gain insight into the diverse topics they have explored and the varied academic backgrounds they represent.

What criteria are considered in the selection process?

The review committee will look for demonstrated knowledge of quantitative research and familiarity with impact evaluation methods, commitment to evidence-informed policy, and commitment to building the capacity of LMIC researchers and/or institutions. The review committee will also note your motivations for the fellowship and alignment with your career goals.

Do fellows continue to be engaged with CEGA following the fellowship?

Yes! CEGA maintains relationships with alumni of the fellowship program. We share relevant research opportunities or collaborations, tap fellows’ expertise for new projects and follow up on past projects. We hope that fellows will remain closely connected to other alumni, share opportunities from their institutions/networks, collaborate on projects, and offer expertise to CEGA as needed.

Can you accommodate individuals with disabilities?

Absolutely! UC Berkeley has a Disabled Students Program with a robust range of support services and campus resources. We are committed to providing an accessible program.

Is there an age limit to apply for this fellowship?

No, there is no age limit to apply for the fellowship.