Structural Transformation of African Agriculture and Rural Spaces (STAARS) Fellowship Program 2025 for African Researchers

The STARS Fellowship Program pairs early-career researchers with faculty mentors to advance rigorous, policy-oriented research on the causal determinants of productivity and income growth, asset accumulation, rural employment and risk management in agriculture and rural spaces. The core objectives of the program include:

• Heighten the exposure and rigorous analysis of high-quality, publicly available data, such as LSMS-ISA data and other micro-level panel data sets.
• Build and reinforce an effective policy research culture among early-career researchers that can help build and sustain research capacity at their institutions beyond the STARS program.
• Provide mentorship to early-career researchers by Cornell University and other affiliated institution faculty and researchers.
• Conduct professional development activities to supplement the research process, including trainings, seminars, and feedback sessions.
• Create an active network of equipped, policy-engaged, collaborative researchers, connected to leading global authorities in the development research space.

• Table of Content
• About Cornell University
• STAARS Fellowship Program
• Aim and Benefits of STAARS Fellowship Program
• Requirements for STAARS Fellowship Program Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

STAARS Fellowship Program

Aim and Benefits of STAARS Fellowship Program

• Fellows will receive funds to cover travel and participation in a three-week visit to Cornell University and their mentor’s home institution. The remainder of the research coordination and professional development training will occur virtually.
• Fellows are expected to commit significant time to the mandatory research and capacity development activities.
• A modest honorarium will be provided to each Fellow. No salary support is available; STARS does not cover the scholar’s time allocated to this research.

Requirements for STAARS Fellowship Program Qualification

• Early career researchers, either Ph.D. students in their final year prior to degree completion or those who completed their Ph.D. no earlier than 2019
• Familiarity with and demonstrated access to data sets in your research proposal. STARS does not provide funding for new data collection.
• Strong working knowledge of appropriate software, typically Stata and/or R, and an interest in econometric analysis of high-quality data sets. Knowledge of Stata and/or R will be assessed at the finalist stage.­
• Priority given to:
  • Researchers who have earned at least one degree from an institution in a low- or lower-middle income country[1][2]
  • Researchers planning to work professionally in low- and lower-middle income countries in the future
  • Proposals relating to one or more of the research themes indicated above
  • Qualified female researchers

Application Deadline

How to Apply

• Applicants should submit their completed proposals via the STARS online application.
• Accepted applicants will be notified by April 1, 2025, and are expected to begin remote collaboration with their mentor and be prepared to join launch activities immediately upon acceptance.
• Any questions about the application process or program should be directed to [email protected].

For more details, visit Cornell University fellowship website.