CEGA Visiting Fellowship 2027–2028 at UC Berkeley: Impact Evaluation Training for East and West African Researchers (Apply by 17 January)

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) at the University of California, Berkeley is accepting applications for its 2027–2028 Visiting Fellowship. The programme is for African researchers and practitioners from East and West Africa who want to build their skills in impact evaluation and quantitative development research.

Fellows spend 16 weeks either in person at UC Berkeley or taking part online, in Fall 2027 (August–December) or Spring 2028 (January–May). The deadline is 17 January 2027 at 5:00pm GMT.

At a Glance

The Two Tracks

• Practitioner Track: for professionals at NGOs, think tanks or government ministries in East or West Africa who use, or promote the use of, evidence to improve people’s lives, and want to grow into more senior roles.
• Academic Track: for early-career scholars who plan an academic career. You should be a doctoral student or hold a staff position at a university or research institution, and be ready to develop your own research proposal or join a faculty member’s project.

Benefits

• Audit coursework at UC Berkeley, one of the world’s top universities for development economics
• Build skills in impact evaluation and quantitative development research
• A personalised mentorship programme to develop your research ideas
• A wider research network among CEGA’s affiliated researchers and partners
• The option to take part in person at Berkeley or online, depending on your country and situation

CEGA’s call doesn’t list the exact funding package, such as stipend, travel or housing. Check the details in the application portal before you apply.

Eligibility

For both tracks, you must:

• Be fluent in English, spoken and written, and a strong communicator.
• Be from an East African or West African country and have completed at least secondary school at an African institution.
• Have at least a master’s degree, be enrolled in a PhD, or have completed a PhD within the last 8 years, in economics, political science, statistics, epidemiology or public health, or another social science.
• Plan to return to an institution in East or West Africa after the fellowship. If you’re doing a PhD outside Africa, you can finish it first.

Resident (in person) or online, depending on your country

• Resident fellows, who travel to Berkeley, must come from a country eligible for a US J-1 visa under current rules. CEGA lists Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles and Uganda.
• Non-Resident (online) fellows are prioritised from countries currently subject to US visa restrictions: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

So Nigerian applicants can apply for the online track. CEGA notes that these country lists may change with US regulations.

How to Apply

1. Decide which track fits you, Practitioner or Academic, and whether you’ll be Resident or Non-Resident.
2. Choose your preferred term, Fall 2027 or Spring 2028.
3. Create an account on CEGA’s Submittable application portal and complete the 2027–28 Visiting Fellowship form.
4. Submit before 17 January 2027, 5:00pm GMT.

Apply for the CEGA Visiting Fellowship 2027–2028 (official portal)

Tips

• Show how you use evidence. Practitioners should describe real decisions at your organisation that data or evaluations informed, or could inform.
• Be specific about a research idea. Academic-track applicants should outline a policy-relevant question they want to develop.
• Explain your return plan clearly, including the institution and what you’ll do with the skills.
• Check your country list before choosing Resident or Non-Resident.

Related Opportunities

• CEGA Global Networks Research Grant 2026: Up to $67,000 for Impact Evaluations in Africa
• Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Fellowship 2027 at IHME, Seattle
• CRASSH Cambridge Visiting Fellowships 2027/2028 for Global South Scholars
• Mastercard Foundation Scholarships Open Now (2027 Intake)