Empowering African researchers to design competitive funding proposals: Training, mentorship and network building for African researchers working on randomised evaluations

This proposal outlines a comprehensive programme aimed at empowering African researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa to secure funding for randomised evaluations of poverty alleviation interventions. The programme leverages a combination of an in-person workshop in Tanzania and ongoing virtual mentorship to enhance participants' skills in designing, securing funding for and publishing randomised evaluations. A key focus is to address the underrepresentation of African, particularly female, researchers in global economic research and publications. The programme aligns with ODA objectives, aiming to enrich the field of development economics with diverse perspectives and local context knowledge. The outcomes include increased proficiency in randomised evaluations, improved research proposal writing capabilities, and expanded professional networks. This initiative is crucial for fostering equitable and impactful research in development economics, with a long-term goal of increasing the presence of African, especially female, researchers in high-impact publications and policy-making discussions on the continent.

Workshop Team: Dr Stefan Dercon, University of Oxford; Dr Constantine Manda, UC Irvine and Impact Evaluation Lab Economic Social Research Foundation; Mr Danford Sango, Impact Evaluation Lab Economic Social Research Foundation; Ms Dorothy Richards, Impact Evaluation Lab Economic Social Research Foundation; Ms Clare Hofmeyr, J-PAL Africa at the University of Cape Town; Ms Priya Nair, J-PAL Africa at the University of Cape Town; Dr Mareike Schomerus, Busara Center.