Q. I’m only in my first or second year of studies in my PhD program. Can I still apply?
A. During the Policy Fellows workshop, we ask participants to work with their own
dissertation research topics. For this reason, it is important that all participants have a
defined dissertation topic, preferably one that has been approved by his/her doctoral
committee. Many participants already have preliminary results from their research.
Students who meet this requirement are generally entering their 3rd to 5th years of study.
On occasion, students in their 1st or 2nd year can also meet these requirements. If you
don’t think you are far enough into your proposal to apply this year, we encourage you to
check back and consider applying for the program in the next year.
Q. I am entering my 6th (or more) year of study in my PhD program. Am I eligible to
apply?
A. If you are still enrolled in your PhD program, you are still eligible to apply to the
Policy Fellows program. During the selection process, we tend to give preference to those
students who will remain enrolled throughout the academic year. Please be sure to note
your anticipated graduation date as requested on the application form.
Q. My dissertation research does not fit within the list of topics you provided, but I am
sure that this program will be very beneficial to me. Can I still apply?
A. PRB’s funding for this program comes through the Office of Population and Health
(OPH) at USAID. Therefore, we are limited to accepting participants whose research
topics pertain to the objectives of the OPH. Relevant areas of research are listed on the
program announcement and main Fellowship webpage.
Q. I am a citizen of a country that is not included in your list of developing countries that
are supported by USAID. Can I still apply?
A. PRB’s funding for this program comes through our USAID-funded IDEA Project. As
such, we are only able to support students who are from USAID population-funded
countries. If your country of citizenship is not included on the list of countries with
USAID Population and Health programs, you are not eligible for this program. You can
check the list of countries here:
www.prb.org/docs12/PolicyFellows_USAIDCountryList_Dec2012.docx
Q. I am currently enrolled (or about to enroll) in a Master’s program. Am I eligible for
this program?
A. Unfortunately, at this time only students who are enrolled in PhD or Doctoral
programs are eligible for this Fellowship.
Q. I am a citizen of a developing country who has already completed my PhD. I am now
working as a researcher, and I can see that this program would be very beneficial to me.
Can I apply?
A. The Policy Fellows program is designed for students who are currently pursuing their
PhD. If you are not currently enrolled as a student in a PhD or Doctoral program, you are
not eligible to participate.
PRB periodically offers similar workshops, specifically designed for in-country
researchers and professionals, around the world. You can check our website,
www.prb.org, to see if any workshops are coming up in your country.
Q. I have been accepted as a PhD student at a reputable university, and I plan to research
a topic related to your list. Can I apply for the Policy Fellows program now?
A. We require participants in this program to be currently enrolled in PhD or Doctoral
programs, with a defined topic for their dissertation research. Most often, students meet
this qualification during their 3rd to 5th years of study. It is important that participants are
already enrolled and pursuing their dissertation because we ask you to work with your
dissertation topic and anticipated or preliminary results during the workshop.
Q. The application form asks about my proposed topic of research for the Fellows
Program, and we are required to submit a 2- to 3-page summary of our research. Can you
provide any more guidance about this?
A. During the summer workshop, we ask all participants to work with their research
topics, including the preliminary or anticipated findings. We want these exercises to be
relevant to you, so we generally ask participants to focus on their dissertation topics.
Some applicants, however, find that there is one particular aspect or question in their
dissertation that is most relevant for policy and the research areas required for this
workshop. In those cases, applicants may choose to focus on that one particular element
of their research in the proposal and application form. Others may choose to submit a 2to 3- page summary of their entire dissertation topic. The choice is up to you. We
discourage applicants from proposing entirely new research questions for this Fellowship.
You should list the title of your research on the application form. In the 2- to 3- page
summary, you should try to include a brief summary of the background, methodology,
anticipated results, and potential policy relevance of your topic. We ask that all applicants
stay within the 3-page limit. You can choose to submit this proposal either single- or
double-spaced. If you choose to include endnotes and/or references, these are not
included in the 3-page limit.
Q. To whom should I address the cover letter, one of the required application materials?
A. You can address the cover letter to the Selection Committee, or Members of the
Selection Committee. The Selection Committee is comprised of representatives from
both PRB and USAID.
Q. The Fellowship announcement says that PRB provides accommodation in DC for the
summer workshop. What kind of accommodation can we expect?
A. During the summer workshop, participants stay in a hotel very near to the PRB office.
The location is convenient to restaurants, grocery stores, public transportation, and
several sights in DC. Fellows typically share rooms (2 per room). A per diem allowance
is provided to cover meals and incidental expenses.