We will offer awards to support original research led by faculty at CEGA-Affiliated universities (Faculty Affiliate status for the main applicant is required). Up to $40,000 will be made available for Faculty Affiliates in Fall 2025:

1) Up to $20,000 

Proposed research must involve rigorous evaluation of programs or policies designed to alleviate poverty and promote social or economic development in low- and middle- income countries. Grant funds may be used to cover travel and lodging, data collection or access, data analysis, and related activities. Grants may not be used for researcher salaries nor for F&A/Overhead/Indirect Costs.

Researchers that have previously received CEGA funding are eligible for additional CEGA funding if they have completed requested retrospective surveys, interim and final reports, or other required deliverables.

Deadline: November 9, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

Eligibility Criteria: CEGA Faculty Affiliate Status

Application Process:

Please complete the Application Form. Applications must include a proposal describing the research (no more than 2 pages) and a budget. 

We will offer two types of awards to support original research led by UC Berkeley PhD students. A total of approximately $80,000 will be made available through this competition:

(1) travel grants up to $5,000 for scoping and/or short-term fieldwork;

(2) seed grants up to $20,000 for extensive, longer-term projects.

Proposed research must involve rigorous evaluation of programs or policies designed to alleviate poverty and promote social or economic development in low- and middle- income countries. Grant funds may be used to cover travel and lodging, data collection or access, data analysis, and related activities. Grants may not be used for student payment.

Researchers that have previously received CEGA funding are eligible for additional CEGA funding if they have completed requested retrospective surveys, interim and final reports, or other required deliverables.

Deadline: November 9, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

Eligibility Criteria: Doctoral students at UC Berkeley can apply.

Each application must include a nomination from a CEGA faculty affiliate sponsor. The nomination should be emailed to Sam Bordia (bordia@berkeley.edu) by the submission deadline (simply stating, "I have reviewed the proposed research and agree to nominate the applicant for this award" is adequate). 

Application Process:

Please complete the Application Form. Applications must include a proposal describing the research (no more than 2 pages) and a budget. 

We will offer two types of awards to support original research led by PhD students at CEGA-affiliated Universities (not UCB). A total of up to approximately $50,000 will be made available through this call:

(1) travel grants up to $5,000 for scoping and/or short-term fieldwork;

(2) seed grants up to $20,000 for extensive, longer-term projects.

Proposed research must involve rigorous evaluation of programs or policies designed to alleviate poverty and promote social or economic development in low- and middle- income countries. Grant funds may be used to cover travel and lodging, data collection or access, data analysis, and related activities. Grants may not be used for student payment.

Researchers that have previously received CEGA funding are eligible for additional CEGA funding if they have completed requested retrospective surveys, interim and final reports, and/or other required deliverables.

Deadline: November 9, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

Eligibility Criteria: Doctoral students at CEGA-Affiliated universities that are not UC Berkeley. Each application must include a nomination from a CEGA faculty affiliate sponsor. The nomination should be emailed to Sam Bordia (bordia@berkeley.edu) by the submission deadline (simply stating, "I have reviewed the proposed research and agree to nominate the applicant for this award" is adequate). 

Application Process: Please complete the Application Form. Applications must include a proposal describing the research (no more than 2 pages) and a budget. 

Please email Sam Bordia (bordia@berkeley.edu) with any inquiries.

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) is inviting one scholar from Ecuador (see specific eligibility criteria below) to participate in a four-month rigorous research quantitative-focused fellowship at the University of California (UC) Berkeley, to be completed during the Spring 2026 academic semester (January-May 2026). We will select 1 fellow in this round who was born and raised in Ecuador, having completed (at least) up to secondary school in the country. Preference will be given to applicants currently based in Ecuador, although applicants from Ecuador but living outside the country will be considered. 

The fellowship will be focused on Forced Displacement. The fellow will be supported to study the effectiveness of programs designed to improve the lives and livelihoods of refugee, migrant and host community families—emphasizing a “two-generation” approach. The two-generation approach ensures that refugee and migrant children receive the care they need for their healthy development. At the same time, parents and caregivers earn an income, contributing economically and socially to their host communities and fostering resilience and self-esteem.

For this track, we will prioritize fellows from Ecuador who have experienced forced displacement, and are interested in conducting research in Ecuador. 

ELIGIBILITY 

For the Fellowship, applicants must: 

• Be fluent in English. 
• Be born and raised in Ecuador, having completed (at least) up to secondary school in the country. Preference will be given to applicants currently based in Ecuador, although applicants from Ecuador but living outside the country will be considered. 
• 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 in South America, preferably one that supports policy-relevant, quantitative social science research; and
• Plan to return to a university or research institute in Ecuador or in the region after the fellowship. 

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

The application deadline is 5:00 PM GMT on November 9, 2025.