Dissertation Fellow, Identifying and Nurturing Mathematical Talent Among Youth

Deadline to apply: January 4, 2026

Description

To support research on the development of mathematical talent in students, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is offering up to four non-resident dissertation fellowships for the 2026–2027 academic year. These fellowships are open to doctoral students in economics and economics-adjacent fields, such as public policy, at US and Canadian universities, who will have advanced to dissertation candidacy by the start of the fellowship period. The dissertation research must focus on issues related to identifying and developing mathematical talent among youth. 

Fellows will join a network of peers with related research interests, receive guidance from an NBER faculty mentor, and participate in the NBER Summer Institute’s Innovation/Productivity meeting in Cambridge, MA, in July 2026. 

Fellows will be selected based on their potential to make an important contribution to the field and given recommendations from our selection panel.

Compensation: Stipend of $34,000, plus $3,000 to support research costs, $13,000 to defray tuition and fees, and financial support to participate in the NBER Summer Institute meeting.

Eligibility

  • Full-time PhD student at a US or Canadian university
  • Must be advanced to dissertation candidacy status by the start of the fellowship

Potential fellows may approach the subject of mathematical talent development from a number of perspectives. Projects that involve original data collection, descriptive work, quasi-experimental data analysis, and randomized controlled trials fall within the scope of this initiative. 

Potential fellows whose research involves randomized evaluations may also be interested in applying for support from J-PAL’s Science for Progress Initiative.

Fellows must attest that their research is their primary activity for the fellowship year and receive prior approval for any work as a research assistant or teaching assistant that will be carried out during the fellowship year. 

Application Deadline

January 4, 2026, at 5 pm EST. Fellowship awards will be announced in March 2026.

Link to Apply 

Application Requirements

  • A cover letter of no more than one page summarizing the applicant’s background and providing the names and e-mail addresses of two references.
  • Curriculum vitae.
  • A research proposal of no more than one page. It will be judged by its technical quality and by its relevance to either (1) work related to uncovering hidden math talent in low- and middle-income countries, or (2) work investigating mechanisms for supporting exceptionally talented youth in the navigation of their potential.

Selection Committee

Applications will be evaluated by a review committee consisting of Ruchir Agarwal (IMF), Ina Ganguli (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), Patrick Gaule (University of Bristol), Paul Niehaus (University of California, San Diego and NBER), and Heidi Williams (Dartmouth College and NBER).

Contact

Abbie Murrell (murrella@nber.org)