RSM Fellowships Program

Background

The Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program was established in 1982 by a resolution of the Executive Directors to "award fellowships for full-time study or research at the postgraduate level in fields related to economic development, to be carried out at a recognized institution in a Bank member country other than the applicant's home country". In December 1993, through a resolution by the Executive Directors whereby the Program was restructured, fellows were allowed to conduct their research in their home country. The award amount was fixed at US$7,500 to cover research costs through the twelve months fellowship period.

Funding for the Program was provided by US$1 million contribution from the World Bank and US$1.8 million from the governments of Bangladesh, China, India, Kuwait, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, and Yugoslavia. The interest from the endowment funds, almost US$200,000 a year, was used to sponsor about 16 scholars a year (US$142,000) and a workshop for the fellows in Washington, D.C. (US$50,000).

Since the inception of the Program in 1982, 247 fellowships have been granted to fellows from a pool of about 9,000 applicants representing all regions of the World Bank. The fellows have conducted research on a wide variety of topics in development related fields. The Program has achieved wide recognition, especially in developing countries, and has also become well known inside the World Bank, especially with recent efforts to link its research topics to the World Development Report (WDR).

The Program has supported a broad mix of fellows, ranging from promising young men and women on the threshold of their careers to some of the most distinguished thinkers in the field of development. The Program's alumni include a number of eminent academics, policymakers, and leaders of civil society. The Program's Tracer Studies reveal a strong application of McNamara research in subsequent research initiative of the alumni.

Nearly 170 research institutions from over 70 different countries have collaborated with the Fellowships Program. The Program has disseminated the research information through publications

While the Program provides support and encouragement to promising fellows, it has not been able to attract applicants with the highest potential who seem to be more interested in research associated with earning a degree.

Restructuring the Program into a Degree Program

A pragmatic approach to contribute to human resource development in developing countries, and contain administrative costs, would be to restructure the Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program into a degree program. Because a full degree program is valued much more highly in developing countries, it will attract highly qualified candidates. This would require establishing a partnership program with one or more universities to offer a masters degree in public policy or development economics. A host institution would be required to jointly sponsor up to fifteen Robert S. McNamara fellows a year, funded by approximately US$200,000 from the Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program and a matching grant from the selected institution.

The Program has been restructurated into a master's degree in public policy at Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University.

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