2025-26 AY PT Research Fellowship: The Future of Humanitarian Food Assistance
The Stanford King Center on Global Development’s Academic Year Part-Time Research Fellowship Program connects King Center faculty affiliates and affiliated researchers with undergraduate students committed to providing research support during autumn, winter, and spring quarters.
Students have the opportunity to engage in world-class research that has real-world impact. Undergraduate student research fellows are paid $19/hour*. Students must be enrolled full-time to participate and must be able to commit to research 8-10 hours per week.
*Students must attend orientation and submit an I-9 form to verify employment and receive payment. Students who cannot accept pay may be allowed to receive academic credit for this research.
Research Project Description:
The network of international institutions, multi- and bi-lateral structures that have historically supported humanitarian assistance to countries and regions experiencing food insecurity crises is experiencing unprecedented strain. This is due to a combination of economic, political, and environmental forces. What should the world food "social safety net" look like and how do we know? A research assistant or assistants on this project would work with me, my research group, and others at the Center on Food Security and the Environment to understand the current landscape and its pressures, and would conduct a review of major donors’ approaches to emergency food assistance. Much of this information is documented in websites, briefs, policy documents, and internal organization documents; as such, the ideal RA is happy sleuthing creatively for information, working to organize and synthesize the information that exists, keeping track of sources and information, and writing compelling summary and analytical text. Outputs from this will be shared directly with the Food Security Leadership Council -- a unique opportunity for a student to interact with some of the world's most insightful and impactful leaders in food security and humanitarian issues.
Primary Research Mentor: Professor Jen Burney (ESoS, ESS & FSE)
Stanford undergraduate students in good academic standing and enrolled full-time are eligible to apply. Co-term students must have undergraduate student status; if co-terms are in graduate billing status (after 12 quarters) they are ineligible to participate.
All majors are welcome!
Students Responsibilities:
We expect RFs who join our team to be:
1. Reading relevant research papers to understand what has been done and where our work fits (we don't expect you to know everything, and we are all always learning!).
2. Great teammates - coming to team meetings, participating, asking questions, and being willing to help the group out!
3. Curious and motivated to try something even if you don't know that it will work out.
Time Commitment:
The time commitment is 8-10 hours per week (equivalent to a 3-unit course) each academic quarter. The expectation is that students will work the full academic year with their mentor (Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters). Students planning on studying abroad may not be eligible.
Student Qualifications:
The ideal RF is happy sleuthing creatively for information, working to organize and synthesize the information that exists, keeping track of sources and information, and writing compelling summary and analytical text.
To Apply:
Along with the application, applicants are asked to submit:
- a cover letter
- resume or CV
- unofficial Stanford transcript (first quarter frosh do not need to submit transcripts for autumn quarter applications)
