2016 World Bank Group Fellowship Program for PhD Students of Sub-Saharan Africa, USA

Overview: 

The African Region of the World Bank Group has opened application for its fellowship program for Ph.D. students from Sub-Saharan Africa. The program intends to increase the diverse workforce that is a priority for the Bank and its clients. The scholarship was set up in 2013 by Makhtar Diop, World Bank Vice President for Africa. The fellowship program aims to build a pipeline of Sub-Saharan African researchers and professionals, particularly women, who are interested in working in the development field at home or abroad, and in starting careers with the World Bank. From the first class of fellows, several have joined the World Bank Group, and others have gone on to pursue promising development careers.

About the Fellowship:

Fellows will spend a minimum of six months at the World Bank offices in Washington, D.C. or in a Sub-Saharan country, getting hands-on experience in development work. This includes knowledge generation and dissemination, design of global and country policies and the building of institutions to achieve inclusive growth in developing countries. While benefitting from research and innovation in multiple sectors, fellows will also work on economic policy, technical assistance, and lending for eliminating poverty and increasing shared prosperity. Special attention will be given to work with Fragile and Conflict-Affected States. Fellows will be expected to complete a research project and prepare a research paper to present to staff.

Benefits of the Fellowship: 

Specifically, selected participants will:

• Gain a better understanding of the World Bank Group's mission and operations
• Access quality data for their research work
• Interact with seasoned experts in their field of development
• Contribute to the World Bank Group's mission

Eligibility:

Sub-Saharan nationals who are recent Ph.D. graduates, or current doctoral students within one or two years of completing or graduating from a Ph.D. program in the following fields: Economics, Demography, Applied Statistics and Econometrics, Impact Evaluation, Education, Health, Energy, Agriculture, and Infrastructure. Candidates must:

• Be a recent graduate or be enrolled in an academic institution and returning to university after the fellowship
• Be 32 years of age or below
• Have an excellent command of English, both written and verbal
• Possess strong quantitative and analytical skills

Selection Criteria:

 

After submitting an application online, the most promising candidates will be identified, and their application packages forwarded to World Bank Africa Region managers and participating departments for consideration. Departments and managers will then indicate their preferences, as well as the project to be undertaken. 

Selected candidates will then be notified and, upon acceptance, will be hired as short-term consultants for a minimum of six months. Fellows will receive consultant fees, round-trip economy class air travel to Washington, D.C. or a WBG country office from their university, and worker's compensation insurance. 

Application Deadline: The deadline for the first round of applications is September 30, 2016.

See Application Form Link to apply.