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

About Cornell University

Agriculture was a major catalyst for Cornell University's creation in 1865. As the Civil War was raging in 1862, the federal Morrill Act set aside federal land to either be used or sold by states in order to endow public universities that would provide education to the working classes in both liberal arts and practical subjects such as agriculture, the mechanic arts - now known as engineering - and military tactics.  These universities would become known as "Land-Grant" universities.  The idea, noted Morrill years later, was to "offer an o... continue reading

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.