Crime and Violence Initiative (CVI) Scholars Program

The Crime and Violence Initiative (CVI) is invested in creating more opportunities for researchers based in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs). Through the CVI Scholars Program, we will make funding and mentoring opportunities available to researchers interested in conducting randomized impact evaluations that fall within CVI's scope. These opportunities are designed for researchers who hold a PhD, whose primary affiliation is with a university, who are based in an LMIC, and who are not yet part of J-PAL’s network. 

Announcement

• CVI’s Fall 2024 RFP is currently open. CVI Scholars must submit a Letter of Interest due September 11 before being invited to apply. The full application will close on November 4. General information on the scope, funding criteria, and timeline of CVI’s Requests for Proposals (RFP) are available on the CVI RFP webpage and should be carefully consulted by Scholar applicants.
• In our CVI Scholars Program informational webinar on August 15, 2024 at 9:00 am ET, we outlined CVI’s scope and Request for Proposals (RFP) timelines, Scholars Program details, and tips for applying for funding from CVI. The webinar recording will be posted on this page soon. Please find the presentation here.
• Register your general interest in J-PAL’s Scholars Programs and related opportunities »

Research Funding Opportunities 

Researchers whose primary affiliation is with a university, who hold a PhD, and who are based at a university in an LMIC are eligible to apply for CVI proposal development (up to $10,000) and pilot grants (up to $75,000) as part of CVI’s bi-annual RFP.  Please carefully review the information on CVI’s scope and application timelines and process available on our RFP web page.

Resource to Develop a Proposal

Applicants are highly encouraged to consult J-PAL’s library of practical research resources on designing and running randomized while developing their proposal.

J-PAL Staff Support During the Application Process

If you have questions at any stage of the process, please contact [email protected] and we can assist you. 

Scholar applicants who are successful at the letter of interest stage will be invited to discuss their proposal with J-PAL staff members to strengthen their application. In these calls, applicants are encouraged to bring questions on the further development of their proposal and initial feedback is provided on the project’s scope and design.

Targeted Mentorship for Funded Research Projects

Researchers based in an LMIC and whose proposals receive funding as part of CVI's Scholars Program funding will be paired one-on-one with mentors drawn from J-PAL’s network of affiliated researchers. Depending on the nature of the grant received by Scholars, mentors will provide active support in proposal generation and the implementation of pilot projects, and may advise on topics including effective communication and partnership-building, grant applications, or peer review processes during monthly conversations. 

In addition, J-PAL staff will be available to Scholars to discuss potential challenges and guide them to useful resources available through J-PAL in support of high quality research project implementation.

Capacity Building Opportunities and Additional Materials on Randomized Impact Evaluations 

For those interested in learning more about randomized impact evaluations, there are a range of relevant research and training resources outlined below. You can access all of J-PAL’s Research Resources »

1. Training opportunities

J-PAL course on Designing and Running Randomized Evaluations (JPAL102x)

This course equips students with the practical skills for running evaluations in the field. Students will learn the foundations of randomizations and research design, as well as practical tips and skills for collecting high-quality, reliable data in the field. It is a 12-week long course and can be audited for free. However, participants must pay a fee to take the course exam, which is required for course credit. The course runs three times a year, in Spring, Summer and Fall. Learn more »  

Evaluating Social Programs course

J-PAL runs an in-person Evaluating Social Programs course annually and is based in different locations. This is intended to give an overview of randomized evaluations for a practitioner audience. Keep an eye on J-PAL’s Education and Training webpage.

2. Scholars Webinars

The Digital Identification and Finance Initiative (DigiFi) hosted a webinar series for Scholars that covers some of the fundamentals of running randomized evaluations. We encourage folks to listen to the recorded sessions if they are interested.

• DigiFI webinar: Introduction to Randomized Evaluations with Application to her Fingerprinting study in Malawi - J-PAL affiliated professor Jessica Goldberg (University of Maryland)
• DigiFI webinar: Sample Size and Power - J-PAL affiliated professor Patrizio Piraino (University of Notre Dame)
• DigiFI webinar: How to Write a Good Research Funding Proposal? -  Emily Cupito and J-PAL affiliated professor Gabe Tourek (University of Pittsburgh) 
• DigiFI budget guide. 

3. CEGA Transparent and Open Science Research Course

Anyone is welcome to take this five-week open online course for free. The course introduces learners to threats to research credibility and reproducibility, and tools and practices for ethical, transparent, and reproducible social science research. Learn more here. 

4. Further reading on randomized evaluations

The J-PAL team has identified a number of resources that may be useful for Scholars who would like to refine their skills in randomized evaluation and research design.

• For a broad overview of how to design a randomized evaluation, please refer to “Using Randomization in Development Economics Research: A Toolkit” by J-PAL Co-Founder and Co-Director Esther Duflo (MIT), J-PAL Education sector Co-Chair Rachel Glennerster (University of Chicago), and J-PAL affiliated professor Michael Kremer (University of Chicago) (January 2007).
• We encourage all interested individuals to read J-PAL Education sector Co-Chair Rachel Glennerster (University of Chicago) and Kudzai Takavarasha's book Running Randomized Evaluations: A Practical Guide. Further information can be found on this website. 
• Another good resource is “Impact Evaluation in Practice” by J-PAL affiliated professor Paul Gertler, Sebastian Martinez, Premand Patrick; Laura Rawlings, and Christel M. Vermeersch (September 2016).
• For a compilation of resources that can help researchers run their projects in line with high ethical standards, please refer to the annexes of CVI’s RFP.

Informational Webinar: CVI Scholars Program 

The recording for this webinar will be posted soon. Please see the presentation slides here.