Launched in 1963, the ODI Fellowship Scheme has embedded more than 1,300 young professionals in government agencies, partnering with dozens of institutions, from Colombiato the Solomon Islands, Uganda to Uzbekistan. ODI Fellows support their host organisations in progressing government
priorities, forging bonds of mutual trust and understanding along the way. The Fellowship Scheme is a ‘win-win’ form of cooperation.
ODI Fellows benefit from the experience of living and working in a different country context to their own. Many Fellows draw upon their experience as they go on to pursue careers in development finance institutions, the public sector, or investment and advisory firms
ODI Fellows can help to fill critical resource gaps. They can be a source of particular skills or technical knowledge that might be hard to come by. Fellows can also facilitate the strengthening of networks with other governments, investors or research institutions.
WORTH
- Fellows are employed and paid by the institutions that host them and their work programmes are determined and managed by local civil servants. Fellows receive a monthly supplement and housing allowance from ODI.
- Fellows gain valuable experience as civil servants. They learn about their host country, its policy landscape, and public sector service delivery in low- and middle-income countries, as well as the challenges of receiving development assistance from bi- and multilateral donors. They gain new technical skills as they work with colleagues to fill skills gaps. Since it is practical in nature, the fellowship is highly valued by participants and their future employers.
- ODI Fellowships are also an opportunity for international exchange and lesson sharing between civil servants: some ODI Fellows bring experience of another civil service and many more go on to work in large bureaucracies, either at home or in third countries.
- The scheme enjoys an excellent reputation and Fellows benefit from the prestige associated with the scheme. ODI Fellows have gone on to build successful careers in multilateral institutions (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations), academia, the private sector, nongovernmental organisations as well as their own country governments. Many choose to stay on in the country of their fellowship.
ELIGIBILITY
- The ODI Fellowship Scheme is open to candidates of all nationalities who have a master’s degree or PhD in economics, statistics or a related field.
- Suitable specialised qualifications at postgraduate level include but are not limited to agricultural economics, environmental economics, international economics, health economics, development economics, and econometrics and statistics.
- For those studying for a postgraduate degree at the time of application, the award of a fellowship is conditional upon the successful completion of the postgraduate degree.
DEADLINE: March 31, 2026
To apply and for more information, visit here