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Uma Lele Mentor Fellowship for Women

Call For Applications

The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Trust is now accepting applications for the Uma Lele Mentor Fellowship Award for Women.  The Uma Lele Mentor Fellowship Award for Women supports a mentorship relationship between an early career woman agricultural, resource and environmental economist from low income and lower-middle income countries, and a mentor who is a member of the AAEA. A complete list of qualifying countries is available under the headings “Low-income economies” and “Lower-middle-income economies” at: http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups#Low_income.

The purpose of the award is to promote high quality research of a policy/problem solving nature, by fostering research collaboration between the scholar and mentor. Research topics should fall within the mission of the AAEA (www.aaea.org/about-aaea), but preference will be given to topics focusing on countries that are facing food and nutrition insecurity, and/or environmental pressures.

The total amount of the award is up to USD $5,000. Of this, up to USD $4,500 will be allocated to the scholar and up to USD 500 to the mentor. The award to the scholar is intended to cover travel, registration, and related costs of the scholar to attend a meeting organized by the AAEA or the ICAE where both the mentor and the scholar can meet. The award may also be used to cover travel costs to the mentor’s work place. The amount allocated to the mentor can be used for travel and other expenses during the fellowship period. The AAEA will waive registration fee for both the scholar and the mentor for the duration of the fellowship. AAEA will also waive annual membership fee for the scholar for the duration of the fellowship.

Women scholars, who are either within one year of obtaining a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics, Economics, or related field, or within five years of having completed Ph.D. and are citizens of and reside in a low income and lower-middle income country are eligible to apply. Ph.D. students studying in countries that are not considered low-income economies and lower-middle-income economies may also apply, but they must be close to completing their degree and planning to permanently reside in a low-income or a lower-middle-income country by the end of 2024. Mentors can reside in any part of the world, but they must be AAEA members.

To apply, scholars should submit the following:

  1. Recent CV
  2. Research proposal outlining the research project that the applicant will work on with his or her mentor (maximum 3 single-spaced pages).  Applicants are advised to discuss the proposal with a prospective mentor before applying.
  3. Letter of recommendation from the applicant’s department head/supervisor stating that the institution supports the applicant’s participation
  4. Name and details of the mentor.  If the scholar has not yet decided on a mentor, they may state this and seek input from the selection committee.  The selection committee will make every attempt to help identify appropriate mentors but will do so only for the selected applicants.
  5. Letter of intent to collaborate from the proposed mentor if the applicant already has a mentor.
  6. Budget

Applications should be submitted in a single PDF format to Kristen McGuire at kmcguire@aaea.org by Monday, October 16, 2023. If you have any questions, please contact Mary by email or by phone at (414) 918-3190.

This fellowship is supported by donations to the Uma Lele Mentor Fellowship Fund for Women (ULMFF—W), which is an extension of the Uma Lele Special Purpose Fund of the AAEA Trust. The ultimate goal of the ULMFF—W is to develop research capacity of agricultural, resource and environmental economists from low income and lower-middle income countries to analyze their country specific challenges, so that an enabling environment for agricultural development can be created on a sustained, predictable basis.  

http://www.aaea.org/trust/special-purpose-funds/uma-lele-mentor-fellowship-fund

Dr. Uma Lele is a recognized international leader, thinker, and policy analyst with extensive research, operational and evaluation experience in the World Bank, the CGIAR and other international organizations and US universities. Her areas of work include food, agriculture, health, environment, global public goods, science and technology, and external assistance and partnerships. Dr. Lele is a fellow of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association and India’s National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and she has been recognized as an Outstanding Alumna by Cornell University.