AERC World Bank Visiting Scholars 2026 - Washington DC
The AERC World Bank Visiting Scholars Program 2026 sends African economic researchers to World Bank headquarters in Washington DC for a residency of four to six months, and the 2026/2027 call closes on 6 September 2026. The programme runs on a memorandum of understanding between the African Economic Research Consortium and the World Bank Africa Region Chief Economist's Office, with three researchers visiting each year in normal cycles and up to two awards announced for this cohort. Scholars sit inside the Office of the Chief Economist for Africa Region rather than on the sidelines: you attend its activities, work alongside Bank researchers on Regional Flagship Studies, revise your draft paper and submit it to the World Bank Working Paper Series and a ranking journal, present at least one seminar on your own research, and contribute to the Africa Region's ongoing analytical work. The eligibility gate is unusually specific and worth checking first. You must already be part of the AERC network, including researchers from the AERC Collaborative PhD Programme, and you must have an active AERC research project at interim or post-field stage or at final research paper stage, on a subject that speaks to the World Bank Africa Region research agenda. Recent cohorts started in January, so plan for an early-year departure. AERC especially encourages women, francophone and lusophone candidates to apply.
What is the AERC World Bank Visiting Scholars Program 2026?
The AERC World Bank Visiting Scholars Program 2026 puts African economic researchers inside World Bank headquarters in Washington DC for four to six months, and the current call closes on 6 September 2026. Before you read any further, check the one criterion that decides most applications: you have to already be an AERC researcher. The call goes out to the African Economic Research Consortium's own network of researchers and faculty, including people from its Collaborative PhD Programme. If you are outside that network, this is not a route in, and the honest first step is AERC's own research and training programmes.
The programme exists because of a memorandum of understanding between AERC and the World Bank Africa Region Chief Economist's Office. Both sides want the same four things: stronger economic policy research in sub-Saharan Africa, better global linkages for African scholars, deeper policy impact on both sides, and improved publications and coursework from individual researchers who get direct access to World Bank data, networks and people. Normal cycles take three researchers a year. This one names up to two awards for the 2026/2027 cohort.
What you actually do there is well defined, which is rarer than it sounds in visiting scholar programmes. You join the Office of the Chief Economist for Africa Region as part of the team, attend its activities, and work alongside people doing analytical work on World Bank Regional Flagship Studies. Then you deliver: revise your draft paper and submit it to the World Bank Working Paper Series and to a ranking journal, present at least one seminar on your own research, contribute to the Africa Region's ongoing work, and build a repository of research interests. Those are contractual expectations under your terms of reference, not a wish list. The two scholars who joined in January 2026 worked on the countercyclical role of development banks and on the long-term effects of early-life climate shocks on intergenerational mobility, which tells you the altitude expected.
Three practical notes before you apply. First, your project needs to be at interim, post-field or final paper stage, because the residency is built around finishing something rather than starting it, so a proposal-stage project will not fit. Second, the money. Scholars are engaged under a World Bank consultancy contract, and neither AERC nor the World Bank publishes the stipend, travel or housing terms in the call, so ask AERC directly what is covered before committing to a move. Aggregator sites promising a full support package are not quoting an official source. Third, the mechanics: four PDFs through a browser form that needs JavaScript, and AERC will not consider a late submission, so aim at 5 September rather than the 6th. Women, francophone and lusophone candidates are especially encouraged to apply. For other US-hosted programmes open to applicants from outside the country, the Yale Peace Fellowship 2027 guide covers a fully funded peacebuilding cohort at Yale. The full call sits on the AERC opportunities page.
Eligibility
-
✓Already an AERC researcherThe first and hardest gate. The call is open to AERC's own network of researchers and faculty, including researchers from the AERC Collaborative PhD Programme (CPP). Economists outside that network cannot apply directly to this programme, so if you are not yet an AERC researcher the route in starts with AERC's own research and training programmes rather than with this call.
-
✓An active AERC research project at the right stageYour project must be live and already advanced: at interim or post-field stage, or at final research paper stage. A project at proposal stage is too early, because the residency is built around revising an existing draft for publication rather than starting new fieldwork in Washington.
-
✓Research relevant to the World Bank Africa Region agendaThe project has to be pertinent to the research agenda of the World Bank Africa Region and to the imperatives for sustained African development. Recent scholars have worked on the countercyclical role of development banks and on the long-term effects of early-life climate shocks on intergenerational mobility, which gives a sense of the register.
-
✓Ready to join the Office of the Chief Economist for Africa RegionSelected scholars are expected to be part of that team for the residency, attend its activities, take part in capacity-building including collaboration on World Bank Regional Flagship Studies, and interact with Bank researchers. Being physically present in Washington DC for the four to six months is the point of the programme.
-
✓Able to deliver the research outputsThe terms are explicit. You revise your draft paper and submit it to the World Bank Working Paper Series and to a ranking journal, present at least one seminar on your own research during the programme, contribute meaningfully to Africa Region research and analytical work, and develop a repository of research interests. Treat these as deliverables, not aspirations.
-
✓Willing to work under a World Bank consultancy contractScholars comply with the terms and conditions in their terms of reference and the applicable consultancy contract. That contract is the vehicle for the engagement and its financial terms, and it also sets the World Bank policies and procedures you will be working under while at headquarters.
-
✓Application in by 6 September 2026Expressions of interest must be submitted on or before 6 September 2026, and AERC states that late applications will not be considered. Everything goes through the form on the AERC call page as four separate PDF uploads, so leave time to convert and check the files.
Benefits
- Placement World Bank headquarters, Washington DC
- Length Four to six months, with recent cohorts starting in January
- Team Office of the Chief Economist for Africa Region
- Engagement basis A World Bank consultancy contract with its own terms of reference
- Awards available Up to 2 in the 2026/2027 cohort, three researchers a year in normal cycles
- Access to World Bank data and research Included, and one of the stated reasons the programme exists
- Published stipend, travel or housing figures Not stated in the call, terms sit in the consultancy contract
- Open applications from outside the AERC network Not accepted, the call is for AERC researchers only
- A remote or virtual option Not offered, the residency is in person in Washington DC
- Revised draft paper Submitted to the World Bank Working Paper Series and a ranking journal
- Seminar At least one presentation on your own research during the programme
- Africa Region research A meaningful contribution to ongoing analytical work
- Regional Flagship Studies Collaboration with scholars and peers doing that analytical work
- Repository of research interests Developed during the residency
- Improved course materials For scholars who teach a relevant course
- Global research linkages A stated objective of the AERC and World Bank partnership
- A degree or academic credential Not awarded, this is a research residency
Document checklist
-
✓Two-page statement of interest (PDF)A hard two-page limit, so lead with the research and what the World Bank connection specifically unlocks for it. Say which Africa Region themes your work speaks to, what you would revise during the residency, and which journal you are targeting.
-
✓Draft paper (PDF)A draft on a subject pertinent to the World Bank Africa Region research agenda and to the imperatives facing African development. This carries the most weight, since the residency exists to get that paper into the World Bank Working Paper Series and a ranking journal. Send the strongest version you have, not a placeholder.
-
✓Course curriculum or teaching materials (PDF)If you teach a relevant course, attach the curriculum or materials you would like to improve while visiting the World Bank. One of the programme's stated aims is improving the coursework of African scholars, so this is a real scoring line rather than an afterthought for anyone with a teaching load.
-
✓Updated curriculum vitae (PDF)A current CV showing your AERC affiliation, your publication record and your teaching. Make the AERC connection explicit and easy to verify, since network membership is the first thing the selection process checks.
-
✓Name and contact details on the formFirst name, last name and email address are entered directly in the online form on the AERC call page. Use the address tied to your AERC records so your application matches the network membership check without extra correspondence.
-
✓Affiliation and degree detailsThe submission form asks for your affiliate university and your PhD or degree alongside the uploads. Have the exact institution name and award details to hand rather than approximating them mid-form.
-
✓Everything as PDF, before the deadlineAll four attachments are requested as PDFs through a browser upload, which needs JavaScript enabled. Convert and name your files clearly the day before, then submit ahead of 6 September 2026, because AERC will not consider a late expression of interest for any reason.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the AERC World Bank Visiting Scholars Program?
A research residency at World Bank headquarters in Washington DC for African economic researchers, run jointly by the African Economic Research Consortium and the World Bank Africa Region Chief Economist's Office under a memorandum of understanding. Scholars spend four to six months inside the Office of the Chief Economist for Africa Region, working on their own research relevant to African economic development while collaborating with Bank researchers. The partnership aims to boost economic policy research in sub-Saharan Africa, strengthen links between African scholars and the global research community, and improve the publications and coursework of individual African researchers.
Who can apply for the AERC World Bank Visiting Scholars Program 2026?
Only AERC researchers and faculty, including researchers from the AERC Collaborative PhD Programme. You also need an active AERC research project at interim or post-field stage or at final research paper stage, on a subject pertinent to the World Bank Africa Region research agenda. Economists with no AERC affiliation cannot apply to this call. AERC especially encourages women, francophone and lusophone candidates.
When is the AERC World Bank Visiting Scholars 2026 deadline?
Expressions of interest must be submitted on or before 6 September 2026. AERC states that late applications will not be considered, with no exceptions offered in the call. Everything is submitted through the online form on the AERC call page as four PDF attachments, so build in time for file conversion and upload problems rather than aiming at the deadline itself.
Is the AERC World Bank Visiting Scholars Program funded?
Scholars are engaged under a World Bank consultancy contract, and the terms and conditions of the residency sit in that contract and the accompanying terms of reference. Neither AERC's call nor the World Bank's own programme page publishes stipend, travel or housing figures, so ask AERC directly what the package covers before you plan a four to six month move to Washington. Third-party sites quoting a full support package are not citing an official source.
How many scholars are selected each year?
The programme is designed for three researchers visiting every year, and the current call states that up to two awards will be announced for the 2026/2027 cohort. Two scholars joined the Office of the Chief Economist for Africa Region in January 2026. With a network-wide pool competing for a handful of places, the draft paper and its fit with Africa Region priorities carry most of the weight.
How long is the World Bank visiting scholar residency?
AERC's call describes visits of four to six months, while the World Bank's own programme page describes four-month research placements, so plan for four months as the baseline and treat anything longer as agreed case by case in your terms of reference. Recent scholars started in January, which suggests an early-year departure for the 2026/2027 cohort.
What do you have to produce during the programme?
Five things are named in the call. Revise your draft paper and submit it to the World Bank Working Paper Series and a ranking journal. Present at least one seminar on your own research while in the programme. Contribute meaningfully to the World Bank Africa Region's ongoing research and analytical work. Develop a repository of research interests. And comply with all other terms and conditions in your terms of reference and consultancy contract.
What documents do you submit with the expression of interest?
Four PDFs plus your contact details. A two-page statement of interest, a draft paper on a subject pertinent to the World Bank Africa Region research agenda, the curriculum or course materials you want to improve if you teach a relevant course, and an updated curriculum vitae. The form also collects your name, email, affiliate university and degree, and it needs JavaScript enabled to submit.
Scholarship Union
More in-depth scholarship guides curated by experts.
Related guides
Always verify scholarship details on the official source before applying. Information on this page may change.
Visit official website