PAIE Scholars Program
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)
Quick Facts
A word from Eli, founder of Rise Africa Scholars
MSc Information Security — Unicaf Scholar
While you wait for a fully funded opportunity, don’t put your education on hold. I completed my MSc through Unicaf — studying online from Nairobi while working full-time. The tuition discount made it genuinely affordable, and the degree is from an accredited UK university.
If you’re serious about advancing your career now, I’d encourage you to explore it. I only recommend what I’ve used myself.
About This Scholarship
The PAIE Scholars Program supports researchers based in low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa to develop and lead rigorous, policy-relevant evaluations of innovative applications of AI for social good and poverty reduction. Selected scholars receive specialized training in randomized evaluation, a US$1,000 completion award, and access to potential pilot funding and research mentorship.
What This Scholarship Covers
- US$1,000 completion award (conditional on successful completion of training and program requirements)
- Structured training in randomized evaluation and AI-enabled interventions
- Potential proposal-development and travel support
- Research mentorship
- Access to potential pilot funding through a separate competitive review
Who Can Apply
- 1 Must be a resident researcher based in a low- or middle-income country in Asia or Africa as defined by the World Bank.
- 2 Must have completed a PhD in economics or another relevant empirical discipline.
- 3 Must have a primary professional affiliation with a university in an eligible country.
- 4 Must have advanced training in quantitative methods, such as statistics, econometrics, causal inference, experimental methods, or machine learning.
- 5 Must demonstrate an interest in evaluating how AI-enabled interventions affect social or economic outcomes.
- 6 Must have sufficient English proficiency to complete coursework, training, assessments, and research outputs.
- 7 Must be willing and available to complete all required program components.