Applications for the GAIN 2026/27 cohort are open.

WHO CAN APPLY?

We are looking for extremely motivated individuals who want to apply to graduate programs at top institutions worldwide and eventually pursue a PhD in economics and other social sciences. The program is open to students from all countries across Africa. We strongly encourage top-performing African students in their final year or recent graduates of a Bachelor’s or Master’s in economics or related fields to apply.

Accepted participants will attend our free, biweekly webinar series, where guest speakers will discuss different aspects of graduate school admissions and careers in research or policy. After completing the webinar program, participants may apply for the second part of the program, the mentoring program. Please note that participation in the webinar series is a mandatory component of the application to the mentoring program. Promising participants will have to go through a GRE bootcamp and take the GRE.

Applicants with a sufficient GRE score will be officially accepted to the mentoring stage and will be matched with an experienced mentor to guide them through the graduate school application process. For more information on the different phases of the program, please see the about page.

To apply for our program, participants must meet the following minimum requirements.

Applicants must be in their final year or have completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in economics or a related field. The applicants we are looking for are seeking to pursue a PhD in economics or related fields, or a Master’s program in economics with the intention of pursuing a PhD in this field thereafter.

Applicants must be willing to study abroad and commit the necessary time to participate in the GAIN Webinar Series. Typically, participants dedicate 3-5 hours per week to the program from January onwards.

Additional requirements for the mentoring program will be communicated during the webinars!
HOW CAN I APPLY?

If you meet the requirements above, we encourage you to apply to our program using the GAIN Program Application Form until February 11th below or here. More information on eligibility requirements can be found here and in the FAQ section.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and accepted participants will be notified by the end of February at the latest. Please check your mailbox for an email by webinars@gain-network.net.

IMPORTANT DATES

Application deadline
February 11th

Information session
January 21st, 6-8pm CET (8-10 pm EAT / 6-8 pm WAT)

First official GAIN webinar
January 28th. We recommend to apply before this webinar otherwise you are required to catch up on any missed information by yourself.

Click HERE