Are you considering a PhD in development economics or just starting your research career? This page provides practical advice for early-career researchers and aspiring PhD applicants. From preparing a strong application to navigating the research landscape, we offer insights from J-PAL-affiliated researchers who have served on admissions committees at top universities and staff who have gone through this process. Whether you're seeking tips on crafting a compelling statement of purpose, selecting the right program, or building a solid academic foundation, you'll find valuable guidance to help you succeed in the competitive field of development economics.
For those planning to pursue a PhD
Deciding if a PhD is right for you
Deciding whether to pursue a PhD is a major life decision. This resource provides guidance to help you assess whether a PhD aligns with your goals and factors to consider when choosing where to apply.
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Navigating the PhD admissions process
The PhD admissions process can feel stressful and uncertain, especially with limited information available to applicants. This resource offers guidance on creating a strong PhD application to help you stand out in the process.
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Selecting the right program for you
Pursuing a PhD requires hard work and can involve significant career opportunity costs. This resource offers insights from J-PAL postdocs and PhD staff to help prospective students decide between accepted programs or explore next steps if they weren't admitted to their preferred choices.
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University application support and mentorship programs
This document lists institutions, programs, and online resources that support and mentor
prospective African students interested in applying to economics graduate degree
programs in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
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Scholarships
This document contains a list of scholarships for graduate studies in economics (and related
fields) at North American and European universities available to African students.
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Pre-doctoral programs
This document contains a list of institutions and programs that offer pre-doctoral positions
(pre-docs) or research assistantships (RAships), which are typically full-time jobs supporting
faculty research that lasts one to two years.
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For early career researchers
Increasing your visibility as a researcher
A strong online presence can be an important tool for building a network. It has the potential to increase your credibility, visibility, and enhance your reputation as a knowledgeable researcher in an international setting.
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Setting up international research collaborations
International research collaborations—those composed of principal investigator (PI) teams based in different countries—are increasingly common and have the potential to strengthen the capacity of research teams and the quality of research projects.
