Human Capital Initiative PhD Summer Fieldwork Fellowships
Applications are now closed.
The Human Capital Initiative (HCI) at the Boston University Global Development Policy Center is pleased to announce the PhD student-led field research projects in human capital and development.
Established in 2017, HCI generates rigorous evidence-based insights on the impact of human capital on development. Outputs under this initiative serve to inform policy and programmatic solutions to global challenges including poverty, women’s well-being, and sustainable economic growth. The initiative recognizes the importance of human capital (health, education, empowerment, and productivity) to be an essential part of human well-being and the role that human capital, broadly defined, plays in shaping the social, political, and economic opportunities of individuals and communities in low- and middle-income settings around the world.
To date, HCI has fostered intra-university collaboration and has directly supported cross-pollination efforts between scholars from multiple schools across the university. The outputs that have been produced under this initiative are commensurate with the GDP Center’s aims to actively support, promote, and disseminate policy-oriented research on human development and well-being. HCI has increased the profile and policy impact of human capital and development research at BU. Looking ahead, we aim to build on these successes by further expanding our cutting-edge research capacity and intellectual synergies within BU.
Through this request for proposal (RFP), HCI will award seed funding for up to four collaborative or individual research projects led by PhD students that help advance the initiative’s mission.
Awardees will be provided with:
- Financial support of up to $5,000 to conduct individual field research or $10,000 to conduct collaborative field research during the summer 2026, to be spent or committed by June 2026. Several awards will be granted.
- Administrative support for the management and disbursement of funds.
- Outreach support through the GDP Center to promote the work through the production of academic working papers, policy reports, workshops, and other activities.
The goal of this RFP is to encourage PhD students working with HCI Core Faculty members and affiliates to engage in policy-oriented field research through the initiative.
Eligibility:
- This RFP is open to all PhD students advised by current HCI Faculty Affiliates. PhD students who are not advised by affiliated faculty are invited to get in touch with HCI faculty to discuss their research proposals.
- The application should include a letter of support from the HCI Faculty Affiliate advising the PhD student applicant stating the merits of the project and describing how the applicant will be mentored throughout the project and how the project will contribute to HCI’s mission.
For any further information, please do not hesitate to contact:
- Victoria Puyat, Associate Director for Finance and Administration at the Boston University Global Development Policy Center (mmvp@bu.edu)
- Rachel Brulé, Associate Director of the Human Capital Initiative (rebrule@bu.edu)
- Ben Marx, Associate Director of the Human Capital Initiative (bmarx@bu.edu)
