The ASEAN Scholar Fellow will undertake a five-month fellowship consisting of:

• Three months of in-person residency at CDRI in Phnom Penh (Late August– late October 2026).
• Two months of remote collaboration (November–December 2026).

• Mentor junior researchers in research design, quantitative analysis, econometric modelling, data management, and AI-informed applications.
• Collaborate with CDRI researchers on one or more policy research projects aligned with CDRI's research priorities.
• Co-author research outputs, including a working paper, policy brief, methodological note, or other agreed knowledge products.
• Deliver at least one research seminar and one technical workshop for CDRI researchers.
• Provide technical advice on strengthening CDRI's research methodologies and analytical practices.
• Contribute to establishing sustained collaboration between CDRI and the scholar's home institution.
• Prepare a short end-of-fellowship reflection summarising lessons learned, contributions, and opportunities for future collaboration.

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

• Economic modelling and forecasting
• Development economics
• Industrial and trade policy
• Labour economics
• Public finance and macroeconomic policy
• Data science for public policy
• Climate and environmental economics
• Digital economy and innovation

Applications demonstrating strong methodological expertise applicable across multiple policy domains are particularly encouraged.

Applicants should:

• Hold citizenship in an ASEAN Member State (excluding Cambodia) to support regional knowledge exchange, cross-border research collaboration, and stronger Southeast Asian linkages.
• Hold a PhD (or be an established postdoctoral researcher) in economics, public policy, development studies, data science, statistics, or a closely related discipline. Exceptional candidates with a Master's degree and substantial relevant research experience (minimum 5 years) will also be considered.
• Be currently affiliated with a university, think tank, or research institute within an ASEAN Member State. 
• Demonstrate an established record of policy-relevant publications and applied research.
• Possess strong expertise in advanced quantitative methods, econometric modelling, statistical programming (e.g., Stata, R, Python), or AI-assisted research techniques (e.g., machine learning).
• Have experience supervising or mentoring early-career researchers or graduate students in a research setting.
• Demonstrated commitment to integrating GEDSI principles in research design, data collection, and policy recommendations. 
• Experience working on policy research in Cambodia or the broader Mekong sub-region.
• A demonstrated interest in fostering long-term institutional partnerships and knowledge exchange across ASEAN.
• Demonstrate excellent written and spoken English, sufficient to produce high-quality research outputs and deliver seminars/workshops.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be reviewed based on the applicant’s expertise, policy-relevant research record, experience mentoring early-career researchers, the relevance of proposed collaborative research ideas, and the applicant's potential to contribute to long-term institutional linkages between CDRI and the applicant’s home institution.

Fellowship Support

CDRI will provide a fellowship stipend, office space and full access to CDRI's research facilities, library, computing resources, and data infrastructure. The fellowship offers the selected scholar an opportunity to deepen regional policy research collaboration, contribute to applied research on Cambodia and ASEAN development priorities, and expand professional networks with CDRI researchers and regional partners.