Application Deadline:
16 January 2026
About Organisation
The Cornell SC Johnson College of Business is part of Cornell University and brings together three globally respected business schools under one mission-driven academic ecosystem. The College focuses on community-centred learning, rigorous research, and real-world impact. By combining strengths across disciplines, it advances evidence-based solutions to global economic and development challenges. Through teaching, research, and policy engagement, the College supports innovative scholarship that addresses inequality, productivity, sustainability, and inclusive growth, particularly in low- and middle-income country contexts.
About the Grant
The Structural Transformation of Agriculture and Rural Spaces (STARS) Fellowship supports early-career researchers conducting policy-relevant research on agriculture and rural development. The fellowship pairs selected researchers with Cornell and affiliated faculty mentors to study productivity growth, income dynamics, rural employment, risk management, and structural transformation in low and lower-middle income countries. In addition to research mentorship, the programme offers professional development through trainings, seminars, and feedback sessions, and builds a global network of policy-engaged researchers using high-quality, publicly available datasets.
Who can Apply?
Applicants must be early-career researchers who are either final-year PhD students or have completed their PhD no earlier than 2020. Candidates should demonstrate familiarity with relevant datasets and possess strong quantitative skills, particularly in Stata and/or R. Research proposals must align with STARS thematic areas and rely on existing data, as new data collection is not funded. Priority is given to researchers from, or planning to work in, low or lower-middle income countries, as well as qualified female researchers.
How to Apply?
Applicants must submit a detailed research proposal through the official STARS application process by the stated deadline. Proposals should clearly outline research questions, methodology, datasets, and relevance to STARS themes. Shortlisted candidates will undergo further assessment, including evaluation of quantitative skills. Successful applicants will be notified in early April 2026 and begin remote collaboration shortly after selection.
Application Deadline
The application deadline for submitting research proposals is 16 January 2026, at 11:59 PM New York time. Applications submitted after this time will not be accepted.
Last Date To Apply
For more information, please visit the grant website here.
