J-PAL’s MENA Scholars Fellowship 2026 for MENA region-based researchers (USD$15,000 stipend) – Opportunities For Africans

Application Deadline: 26 March 2026

Applications at the moment are open for the 2026 J-PAL’s MENA Scholars Fellowship. The MENA Scholars Fellowship creates a pathway for MENA region-based researchers to construct abilities and expertise to design and conduct randomized evaluations of poverty discount and social growth insurance policies and applications.

The inaugural group of six MENA students had been accepted in June 2023, partaking in a complete program that encompasses rigorous educational coursework, energetic participation in J-PAL MENA’s tasks, and Opportunities for mentorship {and professional} growth. The second cohort, welcomed in 2024, consists of six students representing Egypt, Morocco, and Lebanon, with experience in local weather finance, labor markets, gender, and well being.

Fellowship Details

The fellowship consists of eight parts:  

1. Work on randomized analysis: Fellows will work on a randomized analysis with a J-PAL affiliate, J-PAL MENA workers (for evaluations in Egypt), and implementing companions, studying about and experiencing the lifecycle of an influence analysis.
2. Mentoring: Fellows will likely be paired with a mentor from the J-PAL affiliate community, J-PAL MENA Scientific Directors, or J-PAL MENA Post-Doctoral Fellows.
3. Networking: Fellows will likely be a member of their cohort and a rising community of MENA Scholars Fellows, and can be a part of a bigger worldwide community of Scholars Fellows in different areas, along with gaining access to the J-PAL MENA community.
4. Education: Fellows will enroll in and full two MIT MicroMasters online courses to construct abilities in randomized analysis design, econometric evaluation, and different associated areas.
5. Capacity Building: Supplemental coaching focused on the cohort of Fellows will likely be delivered by J-PAL MENA post-doctoral fellows and workers, targeted on distinctive facets of randomized evaluations within the MENA area, private web site growth, proposal writing, and to supply deeper technical coaching.
6. Media protection: Fellows could have the chance to obtain steerage from J-PAL and a public relations agency to extend media protection of their analysis and coverage implications.
7. Event participation: Fellows will likely be invited to current and take part at J-PAL MENA coverage occasions within the area alongside J-PAL affiliated professors and management.
8. Evaluation Design Project: Fellows could have the chance within the second 12 months of the fellowship to design their very own randomized analysis on a subject of their curiosity within the MENA area and with steerage from their mentors. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Fellowship, candidates should meet the next necessities:

• Education: Candidates ought to be specialised in Economics and/or related disciplines (corresponding to public coverage, political science, public well being, statistics, and so on.)
  • Track 1 – PhD Students: This monitor is open for candidates which might be presently pursuing a PhD in economics or a associated self-discipline.
    • It consists of these whose nationalities are from the MENA area and are enrolled in PhD applications at universities in or exterior the MENA area.
  • Track 2 – Academic students: This monitor is open for candidates who’ve accomplished a PhD in economics or a associated self-discipline and are affiliated with a MENA educational establishment.
• Language abilities: High-level of proficiency (fluent or native) in Arabic and English.
• Quantitative abilities: Proficiency in Stata or R are extremely advisable.
• Research in MENA: Fellows ought to manifest an curiosity in influence analysis in coverage points associated to poverty alleviation and growth within the MENA area.
• Ability to contribute to the work of a staff: Candidates ought to have the ability to contribute to analysis tasks associated to utilized microeconomics and poverty alleviation in sectors corresponding to training, well being, local weather change amongst others. Candidates should be eager on operating randomized evaluations (however not essentially have prior expertise conducting them). Candidates ought to be motivated and arranged to work independently, and to ship on their duties as part of a multi-year analysis undertaking staff.
• Commitment: The candidate should be dedicated to finishing all fellowship actions with J-PAL MENA for the length of the fellowship, and actively collaborating in Opportunities afforded through the fellowship.

Benefits

• Each Fellow will obtain a USD$15,000 stipend over the two-year fellowship interval.
• Stipends will assist Fellows’ participation and dedication to fellowship program actions.

Application Timeline

• Phase 1 application launch: Thursday, 26 February 2026
• Fellowship begin date: By June 2026 on the newest
• Phase 1 application deadline: 26 March 2026, 11:59 pm Cairo Local Time
• Phase 2 invites (shortlisted candidates): By mid-April 2026
• Phase 2 application window. Approximately three weeks from the invitation
• Final on-line interviews with the MSF choice committee: By mid-May 2026

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the J-PAL’s MENA Scholars Fellowship