The first cohort of the EfD Early Career Fellows (ECF) program completed their fellowship in December 2024. This marks the conclusion of an initiative launched by the EfD in early 2022, designed to equip recent Ph.D. graduates with the necessary tools for academic success.

The program focused on supporting early-career researchers from low-income countries, with an emphasis on African scholars. Eleven of the 20 fellows in this cohort were women, reflecting EfD’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in environmental econo­mics research.

The motivation behind the ECF program was the numerous challenges faced by early-career researchers in low-income countries. Limited access to quality graduate training, inadequate research funding and infrastructure, and a lack of mentorship opportunities often hinder their academic progress. The ECF program aimed to bridge these gaps by providing essential technical training and networking opportunities.

In its first year, the program delivered specialized courses covering Impact Evaluation, Panel Data Econometrics, Academic Writing, Policy Engagement, Science Communication, and Gender in Environmental Economics. The second year was dedicated to supporting fellows in writing a fellowship paper under the mentorship of a senior EfD researcher or international associates. These research papers are set to be published in the EfD discussion paper series.

Now officially part of the EfD network, the fellows are already making significant contributions to research and policymaking at their respective EfD centers.

Supporting early-career and women researchers is key to achieving the vision of EfD in capacity building,” emphasized Yonas Alem, Director of Academic Programs and coordinator of the ECF program.