STEG (Structural Transformation and Economic Growth) is a research programme funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and run by the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). It funds economists and PhD students doing research on how low-income countries grow and transform their economies. Since it has awarded more than 350 grants.

Quick summary

• Funder: UK Government (FCDO), through CEPR’s Growth Research Platform
• Who can apply: researchers and PhD students worldwide, with particular consideration for researchers from or based in low-income countries
• Grants: PhD Research Grants (up to £15,000), Small Research Grants (£10,000–£25,000) and Larger Research Grants (up to £100,000)
• Focus: structural transformation, productivity and growth in low-income countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa
• Deadlines: separate calls through the year (see below)

The three types of grant

• PhD Research Grants: up to £15,000 for a project of about 12 months, for students currently enrolled in a PhD. Stipends are capped at £12,000 (adjusted for programmes in low- and middle-income countries). A supervisor’s letter of support is required.
• Small Research Grants (SRGs): £10,000–£25,000 for projects of about 12 months. They can pay for research assistance, data collection or purchase, field travel and teaching buyouts.
• Larger Research Grants (LRGs): up to £100,000 (more for exceptional data-collection costs) for projects of up to 24 months. Fewer than 5% of applications are funded.

Research themes

• Data, measurement and conceptual framing
• Firms, frictions and spillovers, and industrial policy
• Labour, home production and structural transformation in households
• Agricultural productivity and sectoral gaps
• Trade and spatial frictions
• The role of the public sector

Proposals that address gender, climate change and the environment, or inequality and inclusion receive particular consideration. Recent calls also welcomed work on AI and automation in low-income labour markets, informality, tax revenue and projects affected by aid cuts.

When are the calls?

When we checked (13 October ),no STEG call was open. Recent rounds give an idea of the usual timing:

• Small Research Grants: calls opened in July, December and June (deadline 29 June )
• PhD Research Grants: calls opened in November and August (deadline 15 September )
• Larger Research Grants: the 6th call closed on 2 February

Dates for future calls are provisional, so check the STEG "open and upcoming calls" page regularly. Each call is usually open for about four weeks.

How to apply

1. Read the eligibility and country criteria, the application guidance and the FAQs on the STEG website.
2. Prepare your proposal using STEG’s templates, including a budget in pounds sterling.
3. Submit through the application form on CEPR’s Hub (hub.cepr.org) before the call deadline.
4. Decisions are usually made within three months (five months for Larger Research Grants).

Also for researchers: PhD scholarships and research funding.

Official website

• STEG open and upcoming calls
• STEG programme (CEPR Growth Research Platform)
• CEPR Hub (application portal)

Details checked on 13 October against the official sources linked below. Dates and amounts can change, so always confirm on the official website before you apply.