World Bank Development Research Group Award for the Best Paper by an Early-Career Scholar
To demonstrate its commitment to promoting high quality development policy research by young scholars, the World Bank Development Research Group based in Kuala Lumpur will award a prize for the best research paper on economics and related social sciences by an early-career Malaysian national. The prize will be awarded during the conference of the Development Research Group, Globalization: Contents and Discontents, to be held in Kuala Lumpur on 15-16, January 2019. In addition to receiving an official award from the World Bank, the winner will be invited to attend the conference and be given the opportunity to spend some time as a Visiting Research Fellow with the Research Group in Kuala Lumpur (at a mutually agreed time in the near future).
Those considering submitting a paper for the prize should take account of the following:
1. To be considered for the prize, an applicant must, as of 31 October 2018, be either a current graduate student or have received their PhD degree no earlier than 31 March 2014. Along with the paper they submit, applicants must append a copy or transcript of their PhD degree, which should clearly indicate the university from which, and date on which, their PhD was received. Current graduate students are also encouraged to apply, and should provide documentation from their university indicating their current status.
2. The prize is open to all Malaysian nationals who are 40 years of age or younger by 31 March 2019. It will not matter where they are currently residing. Along with the paper they submit, applicants must also append a document providing proof of their citizenship of Malaysia and date of birth (e.g., a copy of their passport page).
3. Co-authored papers are acceptable, but only if all authors meet the eligibility criteria as spelled out in 1 above. (So, for example, papers co-authored with one’s dissertation advisor or a senior colleague would not be acceptable.)
4. Only one paper per applicant will be considered. It may or may not have already been published, either as a working paper, a journal article, or a stand-alone chapter/paper of their PhD dissertation. The paper should be no more than 10,000 words in length (inclusive of tables, figures, references, etc.), in English, and carefully proofread.
5. Only papers on economics and related social sciences will be considered. The paper may be either of a theoretical or empirical nature, but the selection committee will look most favorably on those papers that speak in a clear and compelling way to a key development policy issue. The substantive focus of the paper need not necessarily be Malaysia itself, but the paper should endeavor to explore its significance for developing countries.
6. If the winning paper has not yet been published, we will consider including it in the World Bank’s Policy Research Working Paper Series. It would also be eligible for submission to one of the World Bank journals, and subject to the peer and editorial review process there for publication. The awardee may also be invited to present their paper in the World Bank Development Research Seminar Series in Kuala Lumpur.
7. The due date for the submission of papers to be considered for the prize is 31 October 2018. Papers and supporting documents (as outlined in 1 and 2 above) should be submitted using the following link: