CDRI ASEAN Scholar Fellowship 2026: Five-Month Research Fellowship for Mid- to Senior-Level ASEAN Researchers

The Cambodia Development Resource Institute is accepting applications for the ASEAN Scholar Fellowship 2026, a five-month regional research opportunity for outstanding mid- to senior-level researchers from ASEAN Member States other than Cambodia.

The fellowship is offered under CDRI’s ASEAN Scholar Exchange and Regional Institutional Linkages Initiative. It is designed to strengthen collaboration among Southeast Asian research institutions while expanding the use of advanced quantitative methods, econometric modelling, statistical programming and artificial intelligence-informed analytical approaches in policy research.

The selected ASEAN Scholar Fellow will complete a three-month in-person residency at CDRI in Phnom Penh, followed by two months of remote collaboration. During the fellowship, the scholar will mentor junior researchers, collaborate on policy-relevant research, produce joint knowledge products and help establish sustainable institutional relationships between CDRI and the Fellow’s home institution.

Applications must be submitted by 15 August 2026.

About the Cambodia Development Resource Institute

The Cambodia Development Resource Institute is an independent development policy research institute based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

CDRI conducts policy-relevant research on Cambodia’s development challenges while contributing to broader regional discussions across Southeast Asia. Its work aims to strengthen evidence-based policymaking by producing rigorous research, supporting informed public dialogue and building research capacity.

Through the ASEAN Scholar Exchange and Regional Institutional Linkages Initiative, CDRI seeks to deepen cooperation with universities, think tanks and research institutes throughout ASEAN.

The ASEAN Scholar Fellowship forms part of this regional effort by bringing an experienced researcher into CDRI for a structured period of collaboration, mentorship and institutional exchange.

The fellowship is supported by the Australian Government through The Asia Foundation’s Ponlok Chomnes II: Data and Dialogue for Development in Cambodia programme.

Purpose of the ASEAN Scholar Fellowship

The ASEAN Scholar Fellowship aims to strengthen regional research collaboration and improve institutional capacity in advanced quantitative policy research.

Its principal objectives are to:

• Strengthen the technical research capabilities of CDRI’s junior researchers
• Provide mentorship in quantitative research and econometric modelling
• Expand knowledge of AI-informed analytical methods
• Promote collaborative research on shared ASEAN development challenges
• Encourage the production of policy-relevant research outputs
• Build lasting relationships between CDRI and regional research institutions
• Develop an active network of scholars committed to evidence-based policymaking
• Promote knowledge exchange across Southeast Asia

The fellowship is therefore not simply a short research visit. It combines individual research, institutional capacity building, professional mentorship and regional partnership development.

Fellowship Duration and Structure

The ASEAN Scholar Fellowship will run for five months and includes two components.

Three-Month Residency in Phnom Penh

The selected Fellow will spend approximately three months working in person at CDRI in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The residency is expected to run from:

Late August to late October 2026

During this period, the Fellow will work directly with CDRI researchers, participate in institutional activities and deliver technical mentorship and training.

Two Months of Remote Collaboration

Following the residency, the Fellow will continue collaborating remotely during:

November and December 2026

The remote period will allow the Fellow and CDRI researchers to continue developing research outputs, finalise agreed deliverables and identify opportunities for future institutional cooperation.

Applicants must therefore be available for both the in-person and remote portions of the fellowship.

Main Responsibilities of the ASEAN Scholar Fellow

Mentoring Junior Researchers

A central responsibility of the Fellow will be to strengthen the technical skills of CDRI’s junior researchers.

Mentorship may cover:

• Research design
• Quantitative analysis
• Econometric modelling
• Data management
• Statistical programming
• Evidence synthesis
• AI-informed research methods
• Machine-learning applications
• Interpretation of quantitative results
• Presentation of evidence for policy audiences

The Fellow should be able to explain advanced methods clearly and adapt their guidance to researchers with different levels of experience.

Collaborative Policy Research

The Fellow will work with CDRI researchers on one or more collaborative policy-research projects.

Projects should align with CDRI’s research priorities and address development issues relevant to Cambodia, the Mekong sub-region or ASEAN more broadly.

Collaboration may involve:

• Developing research questions
• Designing methodologies
• Constructing or cleaning datasets
• Conducting statistical analysis
• Interpreting findings
• Drafting policy recommendations
• Preparing research outputs for publication
• Presenting results to relevant audiences

Applicants are expected to propose research ideas in their application rather than waiting until the fellowship begins to define a possible area of collaboration.

Producing Joint Knowledge Products

The selected scholar will co-author one or more agreed outputs with CDRI researchers.

Possible products include:

• A working paper
• A policy brief
• A methodological note
• A technical guide
• A research report
• Another agreed knowledge product

The application should identify the outputs that the applicant expects to help deliver during the fellowship.

Delivering a Research Seminar

The Fellow must deliver at least one research seminar for CDRI researchers.

The seminar may present:

• The Fellow’s previous research
• Findings from the collaborative project
• A methodological issue
• A development-policy question
• Lessons from regional research practice

The seminar should encourage discussion and contribute to wider institutional learning.

Delivering a Technical Workshop

The Fellow must also deliver at least one technical workshop.

The workshop should provide practical training related to the Fellow’s methodological expertise, such as:

• Applied econometrics
• Economic modelling
• Forecasting
• Statistical programming
• Data visualisation
• Machine learning
• AI-assisted research
• Cost-benefit or policy analysis
• Reproducible research practices

Advising on Research Methods

The selected scholar will provide technical advice on strengthening CDRI’s research methodologies and analytical practices.

This may involve reviewing current approaches, recommending tools and identifying opportunities to improve research quality, efficiency or reproducibility.

Supporting Institutional Collaboration

The Fellow is expected to help establish sustained cooperation between CDRI and the institution with which the scholar is currently affiliated.

Potential areas of collaboration may include:

• Joint research projects
• Researcher exchanges
• Co-authored publications
• Joint seminars
• Technical training
• Data collaboration
• Future funding proposals
• Regional policy networks

Applicants should demonstrate an interest in building a relationship that extends beyond the five-month fellowship.

Preparing a Fellowship Reflection

At the end of the fellowship, the scholar must prepare a short reflection summarising:

• Activities completed
• Contributions made
• Lessons learned
• Research outputs developed
• Challenges encountered
• Opportunities for future cooperation

Priority Areas of Expertise

Applications are invited from scholars whose expertise aligns with one or more of the following areas.

Economic Modelling and Forecasting

Relevant expertise may include macroeconomic modelling, sectoral forecasting, policy simulations and quantitative scenario analysis.

Development Economics

Researchers may focus on poverty, inequality, social protection, public services, human development or other development-policy questions.

Industrial and Trade Policy

Relevant work may examine industrial development, global value chains, regional trade, productivity, competitiveness or economic transformation.

Labour Economics

Possible themes include employment, wages, skills, migration, informality, labour-market transitions and workforce development.

Public Finance and Macroeconomic Policy

This area may include taxation, public expenditure, fiscal policy, debt, inflation, economic growth or government financing.

Data Science for Public Policy

Applicants may bring expertise in large datasets, computational methods, machine learning, artificial intelligence, data visualisation or predictive analysis.

Climate and Environmental Economics

Relevant topics may include climate policy, natural-resource management, green growth, environmental valuation, climate finance and economic resilience.

Digital Economy and Innovation

Researchers may work on digital transformation, technology policy, artificial intelligence, innovation systems, digital inclusion or platform economies.

Applicants with strong methodological skills that can be applied across several policy areas are especially encouraged to apply.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the following conditions.

Citizenship

Applicants must hold citizenship in an ASEAN Member State other than Cambodia.

This restriction is intended to strengthen cross-border knowledge exchange and research collaboration between Cambodia and other ASEAN countries.

Academic Qualifications

Applicants should hold either:

• A PhD in economics, public policy, development studies, data science, statistics or a closely related field; or
• Established postdoctoral researcher status in a relevant discipline

Exceptional applicants with a master’s degree may also be considered if they have at least five years of substantial, relevant research experience.

Current Institutional Affiliation

Applicants must currently be affiliated with a:

• University
• Think tank
• Research institute

The institution should be located within an ASEAN Member State.

Research Record

Candidates should demonstrate an established record of applied and policy-relevant research.

Evidence may include:

• Peer-reviewed publications
• Working papers
• Policy briefs
• Research reports
• Technical studies
• Government or institutional research
• Other relevant professional outputs

Quantitative Research Expertise

Applicants should have strong expertise in one or more of the following:

• Advanced quantitative methods
• Econometric modelling
• Statistical analysis
• Economic forecasting
• Stata
• R
• Python
• Machine learning
• AI-assisted research techniques

Mentorship Experience

Applicants should have experience supervising or mentoring:

• Early-career researchers
• Junior analysts
• Graduate students
• Research assistants
• Other developing research professionals

The selection process will consider not only technical expertise but also the candidate’s ability to transfer knowledge effectively.

GEDSI Commitment

Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to integrating gender equality, disability and social inclusion principles into:

• Research design
• Data collection
• Analysis
• Stakeholder engagement
• Policy recommendations

Regional Knowledge

Experience conducting policy research in Cambodia or the broader Mekong sub-region is desirable.

This experience is not presented as an absolute requirement, but it may strengthen an application.

English Proficiency

Applicants must have excellent written and spoken English.

The selected Fellow must be able to:

• Produce high-quality research outputs
• Collaborate effectively with CDRI researchers
• Deliver seminars and workshops
• Communicate technical material clearly

Selection Criteria

Applications will be assessed according to:

• Relevance and depth of the applicant’s expertise
• Strength of the applicant’s policy-research record
• Experience mentoring early-career researchers
• Quality and relevance of proposed research ideas
• Potential contribution to CDRI’s research capacity
• Methodological strengths
• Expected fellowship outputs
• Potential to build long-term institutional partnerships
• Alignment with Cambodia and ASEAN development priorities

The selection committee will seek a candidate who combines technical excellence with practical collaboration and mentorship skills.

Fellowship Support

CDRI will provide the selected ASEAN Scholar Fellow with:

• A fellowship stipend
• Office space during the Phnom Penh residency
• Access to CDRI research facilities
• Library access
• Computing resources
• Access to relevant data infrastructure
• Opportunities to collaborate with CDRI researchers
• Connections with regional research and policy partners

The call does not state the amount of the stipend or whether additional costs such as travel, accommodation, insurance or visa expenses will be covered.

Applicants should confirm these conditions directly with CDRI before accepting an offer.

Required Application Documents

Applications must be submitted in English and should contain four separate documents, preferably in PDF format.

All documents should be attached to one email.

1. Research and Collaboration Statement

Applicants must submit a research and collaboration statement of no more than two pages.

It should explain:

• The applicant’s main research expertise
• Methodological strengths
• Proposed contributions to mentoring and capacity building at CDRI
• Specific collaborative research ideas relevant to Cambodia or ASEAN
• Expected fellowship outputs

Applicants should avoid presenting only broad research interests. Strong statements will propose a focused and feasible collaboration that can produce meaningful outputs within five months.

2. Curriculum Vitae

The CV should include:

• Academic qualifications
• Current institutional affiliation
• Employment history
• Publications
• Policy-research outputs
• Technical skills
• Mentorship experience
• Relevant regional experience
• Professional networks or partnerships

3. Motivation Letter

Applicants must submit a motivation letter of no more than one page.

The letter should explain:

• Why the applicant is interested in the fellowship
• What the applicant hopes to gain
• How the applicant’s expertise aligns with CDRI’s research agenda
• Why the applicant is suited to the mentoring and institutional-exchange components

4. Recommendation Letter

One recommendation letter is required from the applicant’s current institution.

The letter should ideally confirm the applicant’s research expertise, institutional role and suitability for the fellowship.

How to Apply

The four required documents should be attached to a single email and submitted to:

kanika.sao@cdri.org.kh

Applicants should ensure that all required materials are complete and clearly labelled.

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further discussion.

Questions may be directed to:

• Ms Sao Kanika: kanika.sao@cdri.org.kh
• Dr Ang Raksmey: raksmey.ang@cdri.org.kh

For the full call for applications and additional information, CLICK HERE.

Application Deadline

Applications must be submitted no later than:

15 August 2026

Applicants should submit early enough to allow time to resolve email-delivery or document-formatting problems.

Commitment to Inclusion

CDRI strongly encourages applications from:

• Women researchers
• Scholars from underrepresented groups
• Individuals from marginalised communities within ASEAN Member States

Applicants will still be assessed according to the stated academic, professional and research criteria.

Conclusion

The CDRI ASEAN Scholar Fellowship 2026 offers an experienced ASEAN researcher the opportunity to contribute directly to policy research, institutional capacity building and regional knowledge exchange.

Over five months, the selected scholar will mentor junior researchers, collaborate on research relevant to Cambodia and ASEAN, deliver seminars and technical workshops, and produce joint knowledge products.

The fellowship is particularly suited to mid- and senior-level researchers with advanced quantitative expertise, strong publication records and experience supervising early-career scholars.

Applicants must be citizens of ASEAN Member States other than Cambodia, be affiliated with a university or research institution in the region and demonstrate the ability to contribute to both research and long-term institutional collaboration.

Applications, including all four required documents, must be submitted by 15 August 2026.

To discover more fellowship opportunities, VISIT HERE.