East Africa Social Science Translation (EASST) Collaborative 2018 Visiting Fellowship for African researchers (Fully Funded to University of California, USA)

Launched in 2009, The East Africa Social Science Translation (EASST) Collaborative is a multi-institution research network with a mission to promote rigorous evaluation of social and economic development programs in East Africa. EASST builds regional leadership in evaluation research by offering competitive fellowships and grants to junior social scientists at East African research institutions. EASST also facilitates collaboration between U.S. and East African researchers. Through these and other activities, EASST seeks to empower the “next generation” of social scientists to measure the impacts of development interventions, and then translate research findings into better public policies.

FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES

During the fellowship period, visiting researchers will:

• Participate in seminars and conferences on research in social and economic development;
• Present their own work during seminars and workshops;
• Audit courses, including rigorous doctoral-level seminars in impact evaluation;
• Carry out an independent research project under the mentorship of CEGA faculty (projects can use existing data for retrospective analysis or set-up a study design for future data collection);
• Meet and collaborate with faculty and students in multiple academic departments;
• Visit and present CEGA campuses, including UC San Diego, Stanford University, and/or UC Santa Cruz;
• Design impact evaluation curricula that will be taught at an East African institution;
• Participate in policy dissemination by contributing to policy briefs, attending meetings with policymakers and stakeholders, and presenting at events; and
• Work with the World Bank and other partners to identify opportunities for future research.

Eligibility

Eligible candidates for EASST must:

• Be a resident of an East African country (i.e. Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, or Uganda);
• Have a PhD (completed within the last 8 years) or be enrolled in a graduate program in economics, statistics, epidemiology/public health, or another social science discipline;
• Hold a staff position at a research institution, university or other organization in East Africa, preferably one that supports policy-relevant, quantitative social science research;
• Have participated in or have familiarity with impact evaluation research (either randomized or quasi-experimental studies);
• Have participated in field-based data collection and rigorous empirical research/analysis;
• Be computer literate, fluent in English, and a strong public speaker;
• Plan to return to a research institute in East Africa for at least 1 year after the fellowship; and
• Demonstrate a commitment to building the capacity of African research institutions/universities.

Selection Criteria

Successful candidates must:

• Demonstrate strong analytic skills, with past coursework in economics or statistics.
• Demonstrate an interest in rigorous program evaluation, policy analysis, and micro-level field data collection.
• Demonstrate a commitment to and experience with engaging policy-makers and implementing bodies and disseminating research findings.
• Submit a clear and innovative research proposal to evaluate a specific public policy or program, using randomized controlled trial or quasi-experimental methodologies.

*We will give preference to fellows interested in infectious diseases, agriculture, and digital financial inclusion.

Female applicants are strongly encouraged to apply. Preference will be assigned to fellows who have already completed a doctoral degree (PhD) in a relevant field of study.

To Apply

Carefully review the Application Guidelines in this document. An online system is used to submit applications. Please submit completed versions of all required documents by the submission deadline.  No information and/or documents will be accepted after the closing date. All materials should be submitted using the online platform “Submittable” at: https://cega.submittable.com/submit/105667/easst-2018-2019-visiting-fellow-application

Note: If you are unable to access the online system, please email Chelsea Downs, cdowns@berkeley.edu, to request an application in word format.

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