2025-26 AY PT Research Fellowship: Measuring Impact of BSF Farming
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:
In South Coastal Kenya, inadequate sanitation and unmanaged waste contribute to food and waterborne illnesses, as well as arboviral diseases like dengue. Plastic waste exacerbates pollution, creates mosquito breeding grounds, and intensifies climate-sensitive disease risks. Additionally, significant food loss across the supply chain deepens food insecurity and environmental hazards, while gastroenteric diseases from poor waste management impose heavy burdens on local communities.
In response, Stanford's Disease Ecology in a Changing World (DECO) program and the Health and Environmental Research Institute-Kenya (HERI) are piloting a women-led, community-managed BSF farm. This innovative solution aims to transform organic waste into high-protein animal feed and nutrient-rich fertilizer, reducing food waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and disease risks while improving food security, sanitation, and climate resilience. The BSF farm also fosters economic opportunities, particularly for women. This project explores the intersection of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming, waste management, and public health, with a focus on plastics, pathogens, and contaminants in BSF rearing systems. Through a collaborative literature review, assistance with a cost-benefit analysis, and analysis of research data, the research will examine the impacts of this waste-to-resource process. The student will also help analyze Ministry of Health data on environmentally mediated infectious diseases in Coastal Kenya, investigating links between waste management, plastic pollution, and disease burden.
Primary Research Mentor: Desiree LaBeaud, Professor, SoM - Pediatrics Department
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:
- Support a literature review on BSF farming and contamination risks, synthesizing findings to identify knowledge gaps.
- Analyze case study data on environmentally mediated infectious diseases in Coastal Kenya, focusing on connections between waste, disease vectors, and public health.
- Measure economic impacts of BSF on the community.
- Analyze survey data on social and cultural impacts of BSF on the community.
- Collaborate with mentors to produce written materials and recommendations for future research and interventions to share findings with academic and Kenyan stakeholders.
Students qualifications:
- Academic Background: Strong interest or coursework in environmental science, public health, disease ecology, or sustainability studies.
- Research Skills: Experience conducting literature reviews and synthesizing findings from academic sources. Proficiency in analyzing qualitative or quantitative data is highly desirable. Prior history conducting cost-benefit analysis a plus but not required.
- Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex scientific concepts in an accessible and engaging manner.
- Collaboration: Ability to work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams, including scientists, artists, and Kenyan partners.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Interest in global health and sustainability challenges, with a commitment to engaging with diverse communities respectfully and equitably.
- Passion for Impact: Enthusiasm for using research and art as tools to address real-world challenges in sustainability, public health, and community resilience.
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 are not eligible.
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)
Research Mentor Questions for Applicants:
- Have you taken any business classes and/or do you have any prior experience with cost-benefit analyses?
- Have you had any experience analyzing survey data?
