Eligibility

Currently Eligible to Apply

Any of the following people are eligible to apply and serve as the corresponding PI for Research and Travel & Piloting projects, provided they meet the other criteria outlined below:

    1. Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled as degree-seeking students, and junior faculty at the participating institutions (visiting or temporary students and faculty are not eligible):
      • Boston University
      • Columbia University
      • Harvard University
      • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
      • Northwestern University
      • Princeton University
      • Stanford University
      • University of California Berkeley
      • University of California San Diego
      • University of Chicago
      • Yale University
    2. NEW: PhD students with an advisor who is a (1) Bread Fellow, and (2) who commits to being involved throughout the research project funded by the Weiss Fund (while the student has still not finished her PhD) will be eligible for applying to the Weiss Fund
    3. Nominated junior faculty: Nominated junior faculty members who have been selected by the Weiss Fund Committee based on their academic merit and alignment to the goals of the fund and who completed their PhD within the last 8 years. Nominated faculty have been notified directly of their eligibility to apply.
    4. Faculty affiliates at the following institutions who have completed their PhD within the last 8 years:
      • National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Development Economics Program
      • Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) Development Economics Program
      • Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD)
    5. Only senior faculty who are Fellows of the Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD) or who have served on at least two rounds as a member of the Weiss Committee are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to proposals from eligible senior faculty that also include an undergraduate student, graduate student, or postdoc as a co-author (the junior co-author need not be independently eligible to apply).

All applicants should have sufficient training to conduct research using current techniques and methods in economics. The PI applying for funding (i.e., corresponding PI) must also meet the following criteria:

  • Undergraduates
    • Undergraduates must be enrolled as regular students in a program leading to a bachelor’s degree at one of the participating institutions. They may major in any field but must have taken intermediate micro, statistics, and econometrics (or the equivalent). Their research must be supervised by a faculty member with expertise in economics. The proposed project should be completed before graduation.
  • Master’s Students
    • Master’s Students should be enrolled in a program leading to a master’s degree with a specialization in development and a strong quantitative/economics component. Their research must be supervised by a faculty member with expertise in economics.
  • PhD students
    • PhD students should be working under the supervision of a faculty member with expertise in economics and should have sufficient time to devote to completing the project before graduating. The Weiss Fund ordinarily will not provide support to new projects being started by PhD students during their last year of the program unless they can demonstrate continuation in an academic position after graduation that will enable them to successfully complete the project and publish its findings.
  • Postdoctoral fellows and non-ladder faculty
    • Postdoctoral fellows and non-ladder faculty are only eligible if they have already obtained a position from one of the participating institutions as ladder faculty, or, in the case of postdoctoral fellows, they are applying as co-authors with eligible senior faculty.
  • Junior faculty
    • Junior faculty should be working on research projects on economic issues that affect developing countries.
  • Senior Faculty
    • Senior faculty are strongly encouraged to submit applications for projects with large potential marginal return toward the Weiss Fund objectives. Applications from Senior faculty will be weighed against the opportunity cost associated with funding junior researchers or donating to philanthropic humanitarian endeavors. The descriptions provided of marginal benefit and pathway to scale will also be closely reviewed for senior faculty applications. To better promote the goal of the Weiss Fund to “attract talented researchers to the field of development economics and support them in producing creative, rigorous evidence to address complex challenges affecting less-developed countries”, preference will be given to proposals from Senior Faculty that include an undergraduate student, graduate student, or postdoc as a co-author. These grants will typically not exceed $100,000; the committee reserves the right to consider applications requesting higher amounts in exceptional circumstances. Senior faculty may request a pre-screening of a research proposal idea to assess against the marginal benefits and pathway to scale criteria. Please contact weissfund@uchicago.edu.

Self-Nomination Process for Early Career Researchers

For those who are not already eligible to apply for funding and would like to be considered for eligibility, the Weiss Fund now has a self-nomination process. Please submit the required documentation to be considered, and a committee will review your application. You will receive an email notification of the outcome of your nomination.

Requirements

  • Eligible candidates must have a PhD in economics, Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Resource Economics, or Public Policy.
  • Eligibility will be limited to those within 8 years of receiving their PhD.
  • Applicants will submit a CV and letter of recommendation.

Self-Nomination Form