Social Science Research Council

The Social Science Research Council and the Program in Applied Economics are pleased to present the recipients of the the 2004 Field Research Grants in Risk and Development. From its inception in 1997 to its conclusion in 2004, the PAE aimed to promote research that addressed salient real-world economic and social issues. The core of the PAE's work was to support graduate students working on applied topics as they made the transition from coursework to dissertation research. In light of these interests, the program offered a slate of Risk and Development Field Research Grants, with funds provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The programmatic focus on risk encouraged and supported new research into questions of risk and uncertainty in economic contexts. At the time the Risk and Development initiative was launched, research in economic development was beginning to explore important and fundamental questions of the nature of uncertainty, vulnerability, and risk-mitigating behavior in the context of emerging economies and poverty enclaves. In particular, new research into household and community risk-sharing helped us understand both how individuals respond to risk, but also the broader context in which economic uncertainty is managed. As with many Council initiatives, the Program encouraged both interdisciplinary and novel approaches, with an aim to create a better understanding of the way that individuals, institutions, and policymakers perceive and respond to situations of risk and uncertainty.

Grants were made in support of these and related questions in two categories: graduate and postdoctoral. 17 graduate student grants of $5000 and four postdoctoral grants of $15,000 were made in 2004. For more information on the 2003 and 2004 Risk and Development Field Research Grant recipients, please see the links on the right.

Please note that the Program in Applied Economics is no longer offering fellowships, workshops, or grants. For more information about other fellowship opportunties with the SSRC, please visit the Fellowships website.