The World Bank Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program (RSMFP) matches aspiring development economics researchers from developing countries with World Bank research economists creating unique opportunities for the fellows to participate in rigorous policy-relevant research in the World Bank’s Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC). Fellows will be hosted at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. for 8 months (September to May each year) and work under the supervision of researchers in the World Bank’s Development Impact Evaluation (DIME) and Development Research Group departments, engaging in high-quality and policy-relevant research projects.
By working with World Bank DEC researchers and their external academic collaborators from top universities, fellows will learn current research standards, acquire new econometric skills, and network with leading researchers in their field. They will have a unique opportunity to participate in rigorous policy-relevant research and widen their perspective on potential development questions, and how their research can address challenges in the developing world.
The window for applications is now open and will accept applications until April 30. For more detailed information regarding the application please go to “apply” page.
After completing the program, fellows will return to their home country or university to continue their studies and/or use their new skills to contribute to economic development issues.
Key Program Features
Professional experience: Fellows will work on World Bank projects under the direct supervision of World Bank DEC researchers and will be offered training on cutting-edge research practices and technologies and engage with the World Bank operations. Depending on the nature of projects, they will have the opportunity to contribute to DEC’s published work and potentially co-author with DEC researchers, join field missions, and directly engage with our clients.
Capacity building: Fellows will receive a one-week technical onboarding at the start of the program, including training on reproducible research practices. Throughout the program, fellows will participate in periodic continuing education trainings and events, to further build skills. Through their work with DEC economists, fellows will enhance their ability to identify, study, and write about important development policy questions.
Research dissemination: Fellows will be invited to write a blog based on their fellowship research with the DEC researchers. This is an opportunity to showcase research and contribution to development policy discussions. Each year, the top 4 blogs will be published on DEC’s Let’s Talk Development blog.
Compensation & Benefits
The RSMFP offers a competitive compensation, totaling $42,750 net of income taxes per fellow for an 8-month fellowship (paid in monthly installments). Since the fellows will be hosted at the World Bank in Washington D.C., the World Bank’s HR Operations unit will assist the selected candidates with their application for G4 visa.
Note: The fellowship does not cover travel expenses.
Governance
The RSMFP governance includes a Steering Committee, Selection Committee and a Secretariat. The Steering Committee, comprised of representatives from the World Bank Executive Director offices of the donor countries, meets annually to review progress. The Selection Committee, comprised of World Bank DEC directors from the research and impact evaluation departments, makes selection decisions based on the selection criteria and fellowships development objectives. The Secretariat supports the Selection Committee in all of its work and manages day-to-day operations, prepares policies and procedures, oversees onboarding, and manages development partner relations.
RSMFP Secretariat
- Florentina Mulaj, Program Manager
- Leora Klapper, Lead Economist
- Maria Ruth Jones, Survey Specialist
- Luiza Andrade, Junior Data Scientist
For general inquiries, contact us at rsm_fellowships@worldbank.org
To be considered for the RSMFP, applicants must be:
- Nationals of World Bank WBG member countries, with preference to nationals of developing countries;
- Graduates of MA level studies or currently pursuing a PhD in Economics or a related field;
- No more than 35 years of age (by June 30th of the year the fellowship starts);
- Available to relocate to Washington, D.C. for the duration of the fellowship.
Research programs
Applicants will have the option to select in the application whether they would like to be hosted by the Development research department or the Impact evaluation department in the World Bank’s Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC).
Selection process
Applications for the fellowship are open annually between March and April for cohorts starting in September of the same year. Applicants must submit a resume, a statement of research interests, contact details for a letter of recommendation, a writing sample (optional), and a code sample (optional). The statement of research interests should describe research interests and indicate the research programs of interest within DEC. Fellowships will be awarded based on application materials and demonstrated skills in required software. Cohort formation will seek to achieve geographical and gender representation.
The window for applications is now open – please apply here.
Filling the application form takes approximately 20 minutes. You will be asked to indicate which research programs in the Development Research and Impact Evaluation departments best align with your research interests and may be prompted to answer multiple choice questions about your technical skills. Before starting your application, be ready to upload:
- Your resume in PDF format
- A statement of purpose in PDF format with no more than 500 words
- The contact of at least one academic reference
- Writing sample (optional): sole-authored research documents that best reflect the applicant’s English writing skills
- Code sample (optional): sole-authored script that best reflect the applicant’s coding skills
For more information please open this link
The organizations that make up the World Bank Group are owned by the governments of member nations, which have the ultimate decision-making power within the organizations on all matters, including policy, financial or membership issues.
Member countries govern the World Bank Group through the Boards of Governors and the Boards of Executive Directors. These bodies make all major decisions for the organizations.
To become a member of the Bank, under the IBRD Articles of Agreement, a country must first join the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Membership in IDA, IFC and MIGA are conditional on membership in IBRD.
In tandem with the IMF, and in consultation with other World Bank Group staff, the Corporate Secretariat Vice Presidency coordinates the process for new membership and maintains the information relating to the status of membership which includes the membership lists.
Browse by Organization
- International Bank for Reconstruction and Development189 countries
| Country / Date of Membership Afghanistan, Jul 14, 1955 Albania, Oct 15, 1991 Algeria, Sep 26, 1963 Angola, Sep 19, 1989 Antigua and Barbuda, Sep 22, 1983 Argentina, Sep 20, 1956 Armenia, Sep 16, 1992 Australia, Aug 5, 1947 Austria, Aug 27, 1948 Azerbaijan, Sep 18, 1992 Bahamas, The Aug 21, 1973 Bahrain, Sep 15, 1972 Bangladesh, Aug 17, 1972 Barbados, Sep 12, 1974 Belarus, Jul 10, 1992 Belgium, Dec 27, 1945 Belize, Mar 19, 1982 Benin, Jul 10, 1963 Bhutan, Sep 28, 1981 Bolivia, Dec 27, 1945 Bosnia and Herzegovina, Feb 25, 1993 Botswana, Jul 24, 1968 Brazil, Jan 14, 1946 Brunei Darussalam, Oct 10, 1995 Bulgaria, Sep 25, 1990 Burkina Faso, May 2, 1963 Burundi, Sep 28, 1963 Cabo Verde, Nov 20, 1978 Cambodia, Jul 22, 1970 Cameroon, Jul 10, 1963 Canada, Dec 27, 1945 Central African Republic, Jul 10, 1963 Chad, Jul 10, 1963 Chile, Dec 31, 1945 China, Dec 27, 1945 Colombia, Dec 24, 1946 Comoros, Oct 28, 1976 Congo, Democratic Republic of, Sep 28, 1963 Congo, Republic of, Jul 10, 1963 Costa Rica, Jan 8, 1946 Cote d’Ivoire, Mar 11, 1963 Croatia, Feb 25, 1993 Cyprus, Dec 21, 1961 Czech Republic, Jan 1, 1993 Denmark, Mar 30, 1946 Djibouti, Oct 1, 1980 Dominica, Sep 29, 1980 Dominican Republic, Sep 18, 1961 Ecuador, Dec 28, 1945 Egypt, Arab Republic of, Dec 27, 1945 El Salvador, Mar 14, 1946 Equatorial Guinea, Jul 1, 1970 Eritrea, Jul 6, 1994 Estonia, Jun 23, 1992 Eswatini, Sep 22, 1969 Ethiopia, Dec 27, 1945 Fiji, May 28, 1971 Finland, Jan 14, 1948 France, Dec 27, 1945 Gabon, Sep 10, 1963 Gambia, The, Oct 18, 1967 Georgia, Aug 7, 1992 Germany, Aug 14, 1952 Ghana, Sep 20, 1957 Greece, Dec 27, 1945 Grenada, Aug 27, 1975 Guatemala, Dec 28, 1945 Guinea, Sep 28, 1963 Guinea-Bissau, Mar 24, 1977 Guyana, Sep 26, 1966 Haiti, Sep 8, 1953 Honduras, Dec 27, 1945 Hungary, Jul 7, 1982 Iceland, Dec 27, 1945 India, Dec 27, 1945 Indonesia, Apr 13, 1967 Iran, Islamic Republic of, Dec 29, 1945 Iraq, Dec 27, 1945 Ireland, Aug 8, 1957 Israel, Jul 12, 1954 Italy, Mar 27, 1947 Jamaica, Feb 21, 1963 Japan, Aug 13, 1952 Jordan, Aug 29, 1952 Kazakhstan, Jul 23, 1992 Kenya, Feb 3, 1964 Kiribati, Sep 29, 1986 Korea, Republic of, Aug 26, 1955 Kosovo, Jun 29, 2009 Kuwait, Sep 13, 1962 Kyrgyz Republic, Sep 18, 1992 Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Jul 5, 1961 Latvia, Aug 11, 1992 Lebanon, Apr 14, 1947 Lesotho, Jul 25, 1968 | Country / Date of Membership Liberia, Mar 28, 1962 Libya, Sep 17, 1958 Lithuania, Jul 6, 1992 Luxembourg, Dec 27, 1945 Madagascar, Sep 25, 1963 Malawi, Jul 19, 1965 Malaysia, Mar 7, 1958 Maldives, Jan 13, 1978 Mali, Sep 27, 1963 Malta, Sep 26, 1983 Marshall Islands, May 21, 1992 Mauritania, Sep 10, 1963 Mauritius, Sep 23, 1968 Mexico, Dec 31, 1945 Micronesia, Federated States of, Jun 24, 1993 Moldova, Aug 12, 1992 Mongolia, Feb 14, 1991 Montenegro, Jan 18, 2007 Morocco, Apr 25, 1958 Mozambique, Sep 24, 1984 Myanmar, Jan 3, 1952 Namibia, Sep 25, 1990 Nauru, Apr 12, 2016 Nepal, Sep 6, 1961 Netherlands, Dec 27, 1945 New Zealand, Aug 31, 1961 Nicaragua, Mar 14, 1946 Niger, Apr 24, 1963 Nigeria, Mar 30, 1961 North Macedonia, Feb 25, 1993 Norway, Dec 27, 1945 Oman, Dec 23, 1971 Pakistan, Jul 11, 1950 Palau, Dec 16, 1997 Panama, Mar 14, 1946 Papua New Guinea, Oct 9, 1975 Paraguay, Dec 28, 1945 Peru, Dec 31, 1945 Philippines, Dec 27, 1945 Poland, Jun 27, 1986 Portugal, Mar 29, 1961 Qatar, Sep 25, 1972 Romania, Dec 15, 1972 Russian Federation, Jun 16, 1992 Rwanda, Sep 30, 1963 Samoa, Jun 28, 1974 San Marino, Sep 21, 2000 Sao Tome and Principe, Sep 30, 1977 Saudi Arabia, Aug 26, 1957 Senegal, Aug 31, 1962 Serbia, Feb 25, 1993 Seychelles, Sep 29, 1980 Sierra Leone, Sep 10, 1962 Singapore, Aug 3, 1966 Slovak Republic, Jan 1, 1993 Slovenia, Feb 25, 1993 Solomon Islands, Sep 22, 1978 Somalia, Aug 31, 1962 South Africa, Dec 27, 1945 South Sudan, Apr 18, 2012 Spain, Sep 15, 1958 Sri Lanka, Aug 29, 1950 St. Kitts and Nevis, Aug 15, 1984 St. Lucia, Jun 27, 1980 St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Aug 31, 1982 Sudan, Sep 5, 1957 Suriname, Jun 27, 1978 Sweden, Aug 31, 1951 Switzerland, May 29, 1992 Syrian Arab Republic, Apr 10, 1947 Tajikistan, Jun 4, 1993 Tanzania, Sep 10, 1962 Thailand, May 3, 1949 Timor-Leste, Jul 23, 2002 Togo, Aug 1, 1962 Tonga, Sep 13, 1985 Trinidad and Tobago, Sep 16, 1963 Tunisia, Apr 14, 1958 Turkey, Mar 11, 1947 Turkmenistan, Sep 22, 1992 Tuvalu, Jun 24, 2010 Uganda, Sep 27, 1963 Ukraine, Sep 3, 1992 United Arab Emirates, Sep 22, 1972 United Kingdom, Dec 27, 1945 United States, Dec 27, 1945 Uruguay, Mar 11, 1946 Uzbekistan, Sep 21, 1992 Vanuatu, Sep 28, 1981 Venezuela, Republica Bolivariana de, Dec 30, 1946 Vietnam, Sep 21, 1956 Yemen, Republic of, Oct 3, 1969 Zambia, Sep 23, 1965 Zimbabwe, Sep 29, 1980 |
Last Updated: Nov 20, 2020
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