PhD Candidate in Digital Technology and Women Empowerment
Conduct a large-scale randomized controlled trial in Nairobi, Kenya, to study digital technology’s impact on women entrepreneurs’ empowerment.
Best for:Best for economists or econometricians with hands-on RCT experience in low-income countries, strong quantitative skills, and a passion for development and gender economics.
Overview
This PhD position at Tilburg University’s CentER Graduate School of Economics focuses on the NWO-funded project ‘Digital Technology and Women Empowerment.’ The successful candidate will lead a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in Nairobi, Kenya, examining how digital business technology influences women entrepreneurs’ performance and empowerment through income and time-use channels. The role involves designing and implementing the RCT, managing fieldwork, analyzing experimental data, and contributing to structural econometric modeling. The PhD candidate will collaborate closely with Prof. Patricio Dalton, Dr. Alexandros Theloudis, and local partners in Kenya, with substantial fieldwork expected. The position offers enrollment in the PhD program, a travel budget, and 20% teaching support.
What you'll do
- Design and implement a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) in Nairobi, Kenya, focusing on digital technology’s impact on women entrepreneurs.
- Refine and execute experimental design, survey instruments, and data collection protocols, including enumerator training and quality control.
- Coordinate with local research partners, technology providers, and survey teams to ensure smooth implementation of the RCT.
- Manage, clean, and analyze experimental data, contributing to structural econometric modeling of household time allocation and intra-household bargaining.
- Develop and disseminate academic and policy outputs, including writing papers and presenting findings at conferences.
- Enroll in the PhD program at CentER Graduate School of Economics and complete a dissertation within the project framework.
- Dedicate 80% of time to PhD research and 20% to teaching and supervising Bachelor’s and Master’s theses.
Requirements
Degree required: Master’s degree or MPhil/Research Master’s in economics, econometrics, or a closely related field with equivalent preparation.
Degree offered: PhD
Language: English proficiency proven by IELTS 7.0 (no sub-score below 6.5), TOEFL 100 (internet-based) or 600 (paper-based), Cambridge CAE (B), or Cambridge CPE. Exemptions for native speakers or those with degrees from English-speaking countries.
Instruction: English
- Hands-on experience implementing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in low- or middle-income countries, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Strong quantitative background with experience in survey programming, field protocols, and statistical software (e.g., Stata, R, or Python).
- Excellent organizational and communication skills to coordinate with local partners, survey teams, and study participants.
- Proven academic record in the top 10% of previous classes.
- Willingness to spend extended periods in Kenya for fieldwork and research visits.
- Candidates with an MSc or MPhil degree from a research university in the European Union must have at least 24 ECTS in quantitative and research methods courses across their Bachelor’s and/or Master’s program. GRE or GMAT scores may be submitted if this condition is not met.
- Candidates from outside the EU must provide a recent GRE or GMAT score to demonstrate quantitative competence.
Funding & terms
How to apply
Deadline: 2026-10-15
Interested applicants should submit their CV, a motivation letter, academic transcripts, proof of English proficiency (if applicable), and any GRE/GMAT scores via email to the contact provided. Additional documents may be requested during the selection process.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Motivation letter
- Academic transcripts (Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees)
- Proof of English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL/Cambridge scores, if applicable)
- GRE or GMAT scores (if required)
- 3 reference letters
Contact
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