Application Deadline: March 29, 2026.
Applications are now open for the 2026 Alan W. Heston Fellowship. The Alan W. Heston Fellowship seeks to inspire and empower emerging scholars and practitioners to advance the field of economic measurement, with a particular focus on international comparisons of prices, real incomes, purchasing power parity (PPP) methods, and the data that underpins cross-country comparisons.
Research Priorities
- Advance national and regional statistical applications and methodologies in relation to the ICP.
- Advance the development of new or improved data sources for price and quantity comparisons.
- Improve the understanding of global economic development and living standards through new or improved uses of PPPs.
- Strengthen national and regional statistical frameworks and develop strategies for better user engagement and communication.
- Undertake research that closely aligns with the current ICP research agenda, including alternative sources of data (scanner, web scraping, satellite) and ICP-CPI integration.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be either:
- Early-career researchers within 5 years after PhD completion, including post-doctoral fellows, assistant professors, and candidates currently in the PhD job market. We welcome applications from those in economics, economic statistics, policy studies, or related fields, OR
- Statisticians working at national or regional statistical organizations conducting research to advance statistical practices.
Preferred qualifications include prior experience in related research fields and a focus on applying findings to improve national or regional statistical systems.
Fellowship Experience
- Duration: 6 – 12 months.
- Receive guidance, from the ICP Global Office and ICP community, on data access, research methodology, and practical applications.
- Publish their findings and share their experiences through the World Bank’s Data Blog and/or disseminate their findings through the World Bank Policy Research Working Paper Series.
Fellowship Deliverables
During the tenure of the fellowship, fellows are expected to deliver:
- Intermediate deliverables:
- Summary of findings with updated budget table and timeline.
- Meeting with the Fellowship Secretariat.
- Final deliverables:
- A draft intended for publication on the Data Blog.
- A draft or final research paper and a brief plan for future publication.
Compensation
The fellowship provides funding of up to $10,000 USD per recipient, covering a period of 6–12 months.
Application package:
Interested applicants should submit:
- CV/Resume
- Cover letter outlining research interests and alignment with the fellowship’s goals (Maximum 500 words)
- Project proposal, including: Objectives, Proposed Methodology, Expected impact, Timeline, Budget table, and Deliverables (Maximum 1,500 words without Annex)
- Pre-approval letter (or equivalent documentation) confirming eligibility to receive the fellowship, if currently employed by a government agency
- Two reference contacts (name, institution, job title, and email)
How to Submit
Complete your application and upload all supporting materials through the online submission portal.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Alan W. Heston Fellowship
