CID's Visiting Researcher Program welcomes PhD and Postdoc researchers to pursue their research for a year in residence at Harvard Kennedy School  and join the tight-knit research community at CID. Fellows will have the opportunity to attend community events, seminars, and meetings, exchange best practices and ideas, discuss research, and network with the broader CID and Harvard communities.

Image of Professor Eliana La Ferrara

Through this new program, we are thrilled to bring early-stage researchers to the CID community. We hope to build new relationships that spark innovative ideas and translate into research that will have a significant impact on economic development.

Eliana La Ferrara, Professor of Public Policy
CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES

CID Education Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

This fellowship is for a Visiting Postdoc Fellow to join the tight-knit research community at CID. Eligible applicants will have received their PhD within five years of the fellowship's start date and are working on education research related to a UniCredit Foundation country (Austria, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia). Post-Doctoral Fellows will receive a stipend of up to $50,000 to be in residence at Harvard Kennedy School starting September 2025 until June 2026. Alternative dates may be considered. 

The Postdoc Visiting Fellowship is located at the Harvard Center for International Development (CID) in Cambridge, MA. Fellows will have the opportunity to attend community events, seminars and meetings, exchange best practices and ideas, discuss research, and network with the broader CID and HKS communities. This opportunity is made possible by support from the UniCredit Foundation. 

Participants will be expected to deliver:

  • A presentation on your research at CID
  • Submission of two research progress reports
  • A blog summarizing your research and experience towards the end of the fellowship

Successful applicants must:

  • Have received their PhD within five years of the fellowship’s start date (ideally in Economics or Public Policy, although additional fields such as Education, Politics, Computer Science or other pertinent fields may be considered.)
  • Be working on education research related to a UniCredit Foundation country (Austria, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia)
  • Be willing to relocate to Cambridge, MA, for the entirety of the fellowship
  • Strong English oral and written communication skills
  • Demonstrated academic excellence

Interested candidates can submit an application for the Postdoctoral visiting fellowship through this link. Applications must include:

  • A personal statement (max of 2 pages) detailing why you are a strong candidate for this fellowship, how this experience will enhance your learning, and which CID faculty affiliate(s) you would ideally want to discuss your work with. Please note that we cannot guarantee that we will assign those faculty members.
  • A research statement describing the education research topic you plan to focus on during this fellowship that is related to a UniCredit Foundation country (Austria, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia). (max of 3 pages)
  • A current CV
  • Academic transcripts from all degrees received (unofficial copies are acceptable)
  • Two letters of recommendation from academic (preferred) or professional references (will be requested through the application process)

Applications will not be reviewed unless all pieces of the application have been received.

Application deadline: Extended to January 10, 2025, at noon EST. Recommendation letters due January 13, 2025, at noon EST.

CID Economic Development PhD Research Fellowships

This fellowship is for current PhD students who have finished their coursework. Fellows will have the opportunity to pursue their own economic development research, receiving guidance from a CID faculty affiliate. PhD Fellows will receive a stipend of up to $20,000 to be in residence at Harvard Kennedy School starting September 2025 for up to nine months. Successful applicants must come from a PhD institution in a UniCredit Foundation country (Austria, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia), and their research can focus anywhere in the world. Given the high cost of living in Cambridge, MA, scholars are encouraged to seek additional funding from their home institutions. This opportunity is made possible by support from the UniCredit Foundation. 

Participants will be expected to deliver:

  • A presentation on your research at CID
  • Submission of two research progress reports
  • A blog summarizing your research and experience towards the end of the fellowship

  • Current PhD student who has completed their coursework in Economics or Public Policy, although additional fields such as Education, Politics, Computer Science or other pertinent fields may be considered.
  • From an institution located in a UniCredit Foundation country (Austria, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia)
  • Working on economic development research anywhere in the world
  • Willing to relocate to Cambridge, MA, for the entirety of the fellowship
  • Strong English oral and written communication skills
  • Demonstrated academic excellence

Interested candidates can submit an application through this link. Applications must include:

  • Home country institution
  • A personal statement (max of 2 pages)
  • A research statement (max of 3 pages)
  • A current CV
  • Academic transcripts from all degrees received and in progress (unofficial copies are acceptable)
  • Two letters of recommendation from academic (preferred) or professional references (will be requested through the application process)

Applications will not be reviewed unless all pieces of the application have been received.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until March 7, 2025, at noon EST. Recommendation letters must be received with two weeks of the application submission.

Hear from CID's Visiting Researchers

Inaugural Fellows Share their Experience

Dilnovoz Abdurazzakova and Erick Baumgartner are the inaugural fellows sponsored by the Harvard Center for International Development's (CID) Visiting Researcher Program. Here, they reflect on their time at CID and the impact it has had on their research.