CSAE Predoctoral Research Fellow

Fixed-term from 1 September 2026 (with some flexibility on start date), for 12 months, with the possibility to extend for up to a further 12 months subject to funding and performance

The postholder will join Dr Rocco Zizzamia and Professor Stefan Dercon as a predoctoral fellow at the Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE), an internationally renowned development economics research centre at the University of Oxford. The fellow will work primarily on a large-scale cluster-randomised controlled trial in northern Bangladesh evaluating the impact and cost-efficiency of anticipatory cash transfers in response to monsoon flooding, implemented with GiveDirectly and the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD).

By the time the postholder joins, the bulk of the project's field operations - sampling frame construction, randomisation, intervention design, partner set up and the main payment rounds - will be complete. The role is therefore primarily focused on the analysis of the project's rich survey, administrative and satellite data, and on the writing up of that analysis into academic papers, policy briefs and donor reports. The fellow will, however, also take on day to day management of any remaining survey activity - including instrument refinement, contracting and supervision of survey firms, and quality control of incoming data.

We welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds, including those under represented within higher education. No applicant or members of staff shall be unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Employment with the University and progression within employment will be determined according to personal merit and the application of criteria related to the duties and conditions of the post. In all cases, the primary consideration will be the ability to perform the job. As stated in the University's Equality Policy and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, our commitment to equality and diversity goes hand in hand with our commitment to academic freedom and free speech.