The Structural Transformation and Economic Growth (STEG) is launching a call for applications for the seventh call for proposals for doctoral research grants.

Themes

• Research may focus on broad systemic patterns and processes of structural transformation and growth for low- and middle-income countries, in a comparative sense over time or space, or on more narrowly defined topics related to one or more of the following six research themes:
  • Data, measurements and conceptual framework ;
  • Companies, friction and spillover, and industrial policy;
  • Work, domestic production and structural change at household level ;
  • Agricultural productivity and sectoral differences ;
  • Trade and space friction ;
  • Economy policy and public investment.
• STEG is also structured around three cross-cutting issues that are simultaneously relevant to many areas of structural transformation, including the six themes of research :
  • Genre;
  • Climate change and the environment;
  • Inequality and inclusion.

Information on funding

• Doctoral research grants of up to £15,000 can fund research support, data collection and/or purchase, as well as stipends. Stipends should only be applied for if they will enable the researcher(s) to reduce teaching or other duties. management and therefore free up time for research. Other allowances can be used for researchers from southern countries.
• Stipends are capped at £12,000 for PhD students in programmes located in high-income countries and the PPP equivalent for PhD students in programmes located in low- and middle-income countries. The grants will also fund field travel, even when secondary data is used. They consider that this type of travel (with the possibility of field visits and conversations with policy makers) is particularly important for researchers who have no previous experience in the countries they intend to study.
• A stock exchange must be completed within 12 months.

Eligibility criteria

• Applicants must be currently enrolled in a PhD programme to be eligible for this call and will need a letter of support from their thesis supervisor.
• They welcome applications from researchers from all over the world for the SRG and calls for doctoral projects, and encourage applications that propose collaboration between researchers from low-income and high-income countries.
• Given the current political situation and the imposition of economic sanctions on various Russian entities by Western governments, they are currently unable to accept project proposals involving researchers or research team members based in Russian institutions.
• An important criterion for funding is that the research is policy-relevant for low-income countries (LICs), particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). While STEG is willing to fund research elsewhere, the policy relevance of the research in specific low-income countries must be clearly demonstrated. In addition, special consideration will be given to PhD students from low-income countries or based in low-income institutions to encourage wider participation in the programme.
• Senior researchers applying for SRG calls for proposals must hold a doctorate or be enrolled in a doctoral programme.

For more information, visit STEG website.