Applications are now open for the 2025 Structural Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Spaces (STAARS) fellowship Program. Click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.
About Structural Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Spaces Fellowship Program
The STARS Fellowship Program pairs early-career researchers with faculty mentors to advance rigorous, policy-oriented research on the causal determinants of productivity and income growth, asset accumulation, rural employment and risk management in agriculture and rural spaces. The core objectives of the program include:
- Heighten the exposure and rigorous analysis of high-quality, publicly available data, such as LSMS-ISA data and other micro-level panel data sets.
- Build and reinforce an effective policy research culture among early-career researchers that can help build and sustain research capacity at their institutions beyond the STARS program.
- Provide mentorship to early-career researchers by Cornell University and other affiliated institution faculty and researchers.
- Conduct professional development activities to supplement the research process, including trainings, seminars, and feedback sessions.
- Create an active network of equipped, policy-engaged, collaborative researchers, connected to leading global authorities in the development research space.
Benefits of Structural Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Spaces Fellowship Program
- Fellows will receive funds to cover travel and participation in a three-week visit to Cornell University and their mentor’s home institution. The remainder of the research coordination and professional development training will occur virtually.
- Fellows are expected to commit significant time to the mandatory research and capacity development activities.
- A modest honorarium will be provided to each Fellow. No salary support is available; STARS does not cover the scholar’s time allocated to this research.
Structural Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Spaces Fellowship Program Requirements
- Early career researchers, either Ph.D. students in their final year prior to degree completion or those who completed their Ph.D. no earlier than 2019
- Familiarity with and demonstrated access to data sets in your research proposal. STARS does not provide funding for new data collection.
- Strong working knowledge of appropriate software, typically Stata and/or R, and an interest in econometric analysis of high-quality data sets. Knowledge of Stata and/or R will be assessed at the finalist stage.
- Priority given to:
- Researchers who have earned at least one degree from an institution in a low- or lower-middle income country
- Researchers planning to work professionally in low- and lower-middle income countries in the future
- Proposals relating to one or more of the research themes indicated above
- Qualified female researchers
Application Date and Process
- Applicants should submit their completed proposals via the STARS online application.
- Accepted applicants will be notified by April 1, 2025, and are expected to begin remote collaboration with their mentor and be prepared to join launch activities immediately upon acceptance.
- Any questions about the application process or program should be directed to [email protected].
Application Deadline
17 January, 2025
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Structural Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Spaces Fellowship Program
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