Resident fellowship
Africa’s emerging generation of talented economists faces challenges due to limited access to data, mentorship, and policy networks. The IGC resident fellowship addresses these gaps by offering African researchers opportunities for advanced training, publication, and direct engagement with government institutions. Through partnerships with local universities, the programme helps build the skills, credibility, and influence needed to shape effective economic policy. By fostering rigorous and relevant research, the fellowship empowers African economists to contribute meaningfully to national and regional development.
About
Early-career economists often reach a point where strong ideas outpace access to data, mentorship, and opportunities to engage with policy institutions. The IGC resident fellowship creates opportunities for researchers based in-country to work directly on policy-relevant questions, alongside IGC country teams, government partners, and academic mentors. Delivered in partnership with universities, the programme supports researchers to develop rigorous work while building the experience and professional networks needed to engage in policy debates.
Fellows work on live policy problems and develop early-stage research that can grow into larger projects. Mentorship from IGC-affiliated academics strengthens research design and connects fellows to international research communities. Through placements linked to country teams and university partners, fellows contribute to policy engagement, collaborate with government counterparts, and gain experience working with administrative data and applied research questions, helping build practical research capability that continues beyond the fellowship itself.
Programme in numbers
- 16 fellows in 2025
- 6 nationalities represented
- 17 local university partners
How it works
The resident fellowship places early-career researchers within ongoing policy and research work connected to IGC country programmes. Each placement centres on a defined project developed jointly with the country team, allowing fellows to gain practical experience while developing research that responds to real policy questions. The structure is flexible, combining applied research, academic mentorship, and exposure to policy processes within a single placement.
- Time is split between the fellow’s university and an IGC country office or partner government institution.
- Projects are shaped through ongoing discussions with the country team and may include synthesis work, analytical support, or early-stage research development.
- Regular mentorship from IGC-affiliated academics focuses on research design, framing, and project development.
- Engagement with policymakers and work with administrative data where relevant to the project.
- Outputs vary by project and may include research drafts, policy notes, analytical work, or feasibility studies.
Eligibility
The fellowship is open to PhD students and early-career researchers in Economics or a related social-sciences discipline. They must be affiliated with an IGC partner university. Advanced Master’s students may be considered in exceptional cases. Fellows must be based in the country where the fellowship takes place and are expected to remain in-country for the duration of the placement. The programme is intended for researchers interested in pursuing academic or policy-oriented careers.
Selection is competitive and led jointly by the IGC country team and partner universities. Candidates are assessed on research potential, technical capability, interest in policy engagement, and alignment with country programme priorities. The fellowships last around 4-6 months, depending on the project and time need to produce relevant academic and policy outputs.
Testimonials
"The IGC Fellowship was both inspiring and practical, strengthening my ability to link research with policymaking. It has offered a valuable platform to collaborate with researchers and policymakers.”
“The IGC Ethiopia fellowship provided a unique opportunity to collaborate closely with policymakers and fellow researchers. It was an enriching experience that deepened my understanding of how academic research can inform and strengthen evidence-based policymaking.”
Our partners
A list of university partners that have signed MoUs with the IGC and their respective logos.