2025-26 CEGA Visiting Fellowship

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) invites African researchers interested in developing their skills in impact evaluation to apply for its Fellowship Program to be completed in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026. Selected researchers will audit coursework, develop skills in quantitative development research, access a personalized mentorship program to develop their research ideas, and build their research networks. Fellows will spend 16 weeks, either at UC Berkeley or at Northwestern University, in the United States.

For this upcoming call, interested applicants can apply to 1 of 3 research tracks: General Development Research, Early Childhood Development, or Youth Livelihoods.

ELIGIBILITY 

All applicants to the CEGA Fellowship Program must: 

• Be fluent in English (written and spoken), and a strong communicator. 
• Be from an East African or West African country and have completed secondary school education in an African institution.
• Be an early career scholar, as defined by recently having completed a Master’s degree or a PhD, or be currently enrolled in a PhD program in economics, political science, statistics, epidemiology/public health, education, or another social science discipline. Preference will be those who are currently enrolled or have finished their PhD within the last 8 years.  
• Have a current affiliation with a research institution (university or other research organization) in East or West Africa, preferably one that supports policy-relevant, quantitative social science research;
• Plan to return to a research or higher education institution in East or West Africa after the fellowship. If currently enrolled in a PhD program outside the African continent, scholars may complete their PhD before their return.

Additional criteria for applicants to the following tracks:

• Early Childhood Development (ECD) Track: 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 who are from and conducting relevant research in Tanzania, Mozambique, and Kenya.
• Youth Livelihoods Track: 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 who are from and conducting relevant research in Kenya - especially in the city of Mombasa.

The application deadline is 5:00 PM GMT on January 17, 2025.