Autumn 2026 King Center on Global Development Graduate Student Research Funding

The King Center on Global Development’s Graduate Student Research Funding (GSRF) supports Stanford doctoral student research activities on global poverty and development, with a particular emphasis on field-based research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Funding is intended to support research that contributes to a doctoral dissertation and must be student-led.

Please note: Letters of recommendation have the same due dates as the application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their letter(s) of recommendation are submitted by the application deadline. Letter writers may submit their recommendations as soon as their information is put into SOLO by the applicant. Out of courtesy to the faculty, applicants should request letters at least two weeks before the deadline.

Additional funding for research on issues important to Brazil is available through a partnership with the Lemann Center for Educational Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Brazil.

For those interested in conducting research in China, the King Center on Global Development’s focus is on global poverty and development in LMICs. We may be able to fund research in China if it aligns with our mission. If your work focuses on other issues important to China, you  may want to explore opportunities through the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions (SCCEI).

Eligibility

• Stanford doctoral students in any discipline are eligible to apply if they are making satisfactory academic progress toward a PhD. Additionally, award recipients must be registered during the quarter in which they receive funding.
• Previous applicants may reapply for a different project or resubmit an improved version of an earlier proposal.
• Applicants may apply simultaneously for other sources of funding.  Applicants must disclose other potential and/or approved funding in their applications and  may not accept multiple sources of funding for the same expenses. Applicants are also responsible for confirming that other funding sources permit the use of King Center funding.

Types of Awards

The King Center offers three types of Graduate Student Research Awards. Applicants should select the award type that best matches the stage of their research.

1. Travel Awards: Up to $5,000, one letter of recommendation required 
Travel grants are intended primarily for PhD students in the early stages of their programs who are exploring potential research topics or field research locations. The primary purpose of the travel award should be to build new expertise and explore potential dissertation projects, rather than to work on a faculty-led project. Funding may support expenses such as airfare and accommodation for research-related travel in an LMIC. 

2. Exploratory Awards: Up to $8,000, one letter of recommendation required 
Exploratory awards support student-led research projects in their initial stages. Examples of eligible activities include:  

• Preliminary data collection
• Pilot surveys or experiments
• Interviews
• Data access or acquisition
• Meetings with local research or implementation partners
• Other activities needed to develop or assess the feasibility of a dissertation research project

3. Advanced Awards: Up to $25,000, two letters of recommendation required 
Advanced awards support more developed student-led dissertation research. Examples of eligible activities include: 

• Administering larger surveys
• Hiring field research assistants, translators, or other research support
• Collecting or compiling administrative data
• Other substantial research activities required to advance the dissertation 

Students should expect to receive, at most, one advanced award.

Selection Criteria and Process 

A committee appointed by the King Center’s Faculty Steering Committee will first review proposals for eligibility and alignment with the King Center’s mission and funding priorities, and will then evaluate proposals according to the following criteria:

1. Alignment with Global Development Goals

• Is the research question clearly defined and relevant to global poverty or development?
• Is the project primarily focused on addressing relevant challenges facing LMICs, rather than simply taking place in an LMIC setting due to convenience (e.g., data access or cost)?
• Is the proposed project in line with the King Center's mission  of supporting research that shapes policy and practice in addressing global poverty and advancing development in LMICs?

2. Innovation and Academic Rigor

• Are the research goals and objectives clearly articulated?
• Is the proposal appropriate for the project’s stage (e.g., exploratory work, data collection, analysis)?
• Are the research methods, sampling strategies, data sources, and analytic approaches adequately described, particularly for advanced proposals?
• Does the research design address potential challenges or threats to inference (e.g., bias, confounding)?

3. Academic and Policy Impact

• Does the research have the potential to make a meaningful contribution to scholarly knowledge in the student’s discipline?
• Does the research have the potential to inform policy, practice, or real-world decision-making?
• For early-stage proposals, does the student demonstrate an understanding of how their work could eventually contribute to policy or practice?

4. Budget Justification

• Is the proposed budget appropriate and well-matched to the project’s scope and objectives?
• Does the proposal reflect good value for the potential insights or learning?
• Are requested costs justified and aligned with the eligible expense categories? Note that the King Center prioritizes funding for direct research costs, such as travel, field expenses, and data acquisition.

5. Feasibility

• Is the proposed timeline realistic, given the student’s stage in the PhD program and the project scope?
• Does the student have—or is  the student positioned to develop—the skills, partnerships, and resources needed to successfully complete the work?

For additional information, please review the Application Process webpage.

Acknowledgement of the King Center for funding support

If you receive funding, you are required to acknowledge the King Center's support in publications and other professional communications. This includes working papers, journal articles, presentations, interviews, media coverage, social media, and other public communications, as well as identifying yourself as a King Center funding recipient where appropriate. 

Read the acknowledgment guidelines.

Funding recipients may also be asked to present their research at a workshop or seminar organized by the King Center, and are encouraged to present a poster at the annual Global Development Research Symposium.