Deadline:
December 11, 2025
Location(s)
Worldwide
Overview
Launched in 1963, the ODI Fellowship Scheme has embedded more than 1,300 young professionals in government agencies, partnering with dozens of institutions, from Saint Lucia to the Solomon Islands, Uganda to Uzbekistan.
Details
ODI Fellows support their host organisations in progressing government priorities, forging bonds of mutual trust and understanding along the way.
The Fellowship Scheme is a ‘win-win’ form of cooperation.
- ODI Fellows can help to fill critical resource gaps. They can be a source of particular skills or technical knowledge that might be hard to come by. Fellows can also facilitate the strengthening of networks with other governments, investors or research institutions.
- ODI Fellows benefit from the experience of living and working in a different country context to their own. Many Fellows draw upon their experience as they go on to pursue careers in development finance institutions, the public sector, or investment and advisory firms.
The continued demand from governments for ODI Fellows, as well as the level of responsibility entrusted to them, is testament to the esteem the fellowship has earned in the 60 years since it was established.
Fellowships are determined primarily by the needs of the scheme’s partners.
The ODI Fellowship Scheme is open to candidates of all nationalities, and we support and encourage applications from LGBTQ+ and disabled candidates. Postgraduate economists and statisticians with an interest in development are encouraged to apply.
The ODI Fellowship Scheme is generously supported by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the United Kingdom’s Office of National Statistics (ONS), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF), the EdTech Hub, the Global Fund, the Government of Timor Leste, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Previous support has come from the Fleming Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Comic Relief, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative (CABRI).
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
The ODI Fellowship Scheme is open to candidates of all nationalities who have a master’s degree or PhD in economics, statistics or a related field. Suitable specialised qualifications at postgraduate level include agricultural economics, environmental economics, international economics, health economics, development economics, and econometrics and statistics. For those studying for a postgraduate degree at the time of application, the award of a Fellowship is conditional upon the successful completion of the postgraduate degree. The ODI Fellowship Scheme posts Fellows under two streams; economics and statistics, and candidates can apply under one or both of the Fellowship streams provided they have the right qualifications.
Applicants must be willing to commit to a two-year posting in any of the countries that participate in the Scheme. Applications are strengthened by a demonstrable interest in development, relevant work or voluntary experience in a developing country, language competence in French, Portuguese or Swahili, and strong IT skills. The Scheme regularly attracts approximately equal numbers of male and female candidates.
Intellectual ability
- A sound grasp of economic and statistical theory and their application to practical policy issues
- An ability to analyse data and information and to solve problems
- An ability to communicate complex technical ideas to non-specialists, both verbally and in writing
Personal qualities and interpersonal skills
- Adaptability and flexibility
- An ability to work in difficult conditions
- Patience and humility
- An ability to work effectively with others
- A confident and robust personality
- A willingness to learn and accept advice
- An ability to mix easily with diverse groups of people
- An ability to adapt to a new country and culture
Management and work-related skills
- An ability to take initiatives and be proactive
- An ability to prioritise and delegate work • Consultative and advocacy skills
- Good time management skills
- An ability to work without supervision
- Project management
- Report writing
Dates
Deadline: December 11, 2025
Cost/funding for participants
Contracts of employment between host governments and individual Fellows determine Fellows’ local salaries and other terms and conditions of service. These vary from country to country according to the post held, the cost of living and other factors. As local employees, Fellows pay tax on their local salaries. The ODI Fellowship Scheme does not provide additional financial support for partners or children. In 2019 total supplementation amounted to approximately £21,000 per Fellow per annum in the first year of the Fellowship and £23,000 in the second year.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
