Deadline: January 17, 2027
Applications are open for the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) Visiting Fellowship 2027-2028. The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) invites African researchers and practitioners interested in developing their skills in impact evaluation to apply for its Fellowship Program to be completed in Fall 2027 or Spring 2028.
Selected fellows 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 in residence at UC Berkeley or participating virtually.
Applicants can apply to one of two tracks–the Practitioner Track or the Academic Track–as either a Resident (in-person at UC Berkeley) or Non-Resident (online) Fellow. Fellows will be given the choice of either Fall 2027 (August through December) or Spring 2028 (January through May).
Eligibility
Across both tracks:
To be accepted to the CEGA Fellowship, applicants must demonstrate the following:
- Be fluent in English (written and spoken), and a strong communicator.
- Be from an East African or West African country and have completed at least up to secondary school education in an African institution.
- Have at least a Master’s degree, are currently enrolled in a PhD, or have completed a PhD (within 8 years) in economics, political science, statistics, epidemiology/public health, or another social science discipline.
- Plan to return to an 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.
The Practitioner Track is intended for professionals interested in improving their research skills to grow in their careers in African government ministries, think tanks, or NGOs. Applicants to the Practitioner Track should:
- Work for an NGO, think tank, or government ministry in East or West Africa, with a goal to grow into more senior careers.
- Be actively using or promoting the use of evidence to improve economic and social well-being for populations.
The Academic Track is intended for early career scholars who intend to pursue an academic career. Application to the Academic Track should:
- Either be a doctoral student or hold a current staff position within a university or research institution, preferably one that supports policy-relevant, quantitative social science research.
- Be prepared to develop their own research proposal and/or be embedded within a faculty’s existing research project.
Resident fellows must be from a country eligible for a J-1 visa under current U.S. visa requirements: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Uganda. Note that this is subject to change dependent on US regulations. Non-Resident fellows will be prioritized from currently subject to U.S. visa restrictions: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Application
The application deadline is 5:00 PM GMT on January 17, 2027.
For more information, visit CEGA Visiting Fellowship.
