RFP for research on interventions to advance women in economics in the Global South

The Issue:

There is increasing recognition of the fact that the entire economics profession is marked by inadequate representation of women. The profession has several components: students and faculty at various levels in universities, the publication ecosystem (journals, editors, referees), conferences, decision making/leadership positions. While the broad problem of gender imbalances is gradually being recognized, the precise contours of under-representation are not properly understood and need to be documented. These vary by tier: university undergraduate students, graduate students, early career and late career researchers; by region/country and by social groups within countries. In the profession of economics, at each level at which women make choices, there are bottlenecks and choke points: from choosing economics as an undergraduate major, to pursuing an economics PhD, to obtaining a job and advancing in academia.

There are a variety of formal and informal rules and practices that shape how the profession, as an institution, operates. For example, entry by women at these different levels of the profession are determined by admission criteria, career advancement policies, mentorship programs, letters of reference, tenure requirements, leave policies.  They are also affected by role models, information, mentoring, and expectations. These formal and informal practices interact to produce structures of disadvantage for women, with the specific architecture of these structures varying by level, by country and by social identity of women. How can these structures be altered to lower (and eventually fully eliminate) the disadvantages and barriers faced by women? The project aims to uncover, document, and (where possible) alter the practices that disadvantage women and deprive the profession globally of their perspective and wisdom.

We are calling for well-defined research proposals that will generate evidence on “what works” i.e., what interventions are effective and successful in lowering the gender gap in economics. The evidence can be obtained, for example, by piloting trials of new interventions or analyzing the impact of existing policies.  We hope that even a few successful studies can help alter professional practices through the power of concrete examples and models.

We are not looking for literature reviews or generating an evidence base demonstrating under-representation of women. We know the problem; we are looking for research into how it can be solved.

We will prioritize research proposals that focus on any of these four countries: Argentina, Colombia, Ghana, and Mexico. However, we are open to proposals from other developing countries as well.

Please submit a proposal of up to 1,500 words with a clear action plan of research over 24 months along with a CV. The budget depends on the nature of the proposal but will be up to a maximum amount of USD 30,000 over two years.

There will be a schedule of payment of this total amount spread along 24 months. Each selected proposal will have a specific schedule tailored to the requirements of the proposal. The final payment will be made after the full and final delivery of the research paper.

All quantitative data collected for this paper will be the property of the IEA.

Authors will be free to use their research as they wish, with proper attribution to the IEA for financial support in the context of the IEA-WE initiative.

Please submit a fleshed-out proposal containing the following components:  research question (i.e., hypothesis to be tested), identification strategy, data collection and estimation methodology. The initial proposals should be succinct and concise (between 1500-2000 words).

Proposals may be submitted by individuals or institutions. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed about their proposals after which they may be asked to submit a more developed proposal.

Submission deadline: November 15, 2024.