Structural Transformation of Agriculture and Rural Spaces (STARS) Fellowship
Structural transformation describes the process by which low-income societies, in which agriculture absorbs most labor and generates most economic output, become high-income societies characterized by a relatively smaller but more productive agricultural sector.
The STARS Fellowship Program pairs early-career researchers with faculty mentors to advance rigorous, policy-oriented research on the causal determinants of productivity and income growth, asset accumulation, rural employment and risk management in agriculture and rural spaces. The core objectives of the program include:
- Build and reinforce an effective policy research culture among early-career researchers that can help build and sustain research capacity at their institutions beyond the STARS program.
- Provide mentorship to early-career researchers by Cornell University and other affiliated institution faculty and researchers.
- Conduct professional development activities to supplement the research process, including trainings, seminars, and feedback sessions.
- Create an active network of equipped, policy-engaged, collaborative researchers, connected to leading global authorities in the development research space.
- Heighten the exposure and rigorous analysis of high-quality, publicly available data, such as LSMS-ISA data and other micro-level panel data sets.
Learn More about STARS
Explore more about STARS from the people working with the organization, our fellows and their research.
Partners
The STARS Fellowship program is a collaborative venture that has appreciated partnership with the African Development Bank (AFDB), African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), CGIAR Research Program on Policies Institutions and Markets (PIM), Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP), University of Sussex, USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy, Research, Capacity and Influence led by Michigan State University, and the World Bank.