The Magda Kandil Research Prize
Submission Deadline: December 31, 2021
I. Introduction:
The MEDJ awards an annual prize for outstanding research conducted by young academics on a topic related to the ERF’s mission. The prize was introduced in honour of Magda Kandil, who was a member of ERF since its inception and an active participant in research and knowledge dissemination in the region. A Ph.D. graduate Washington State University, Ms. Kandil was Professor of Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Senior Economist at the IMF, and Head of Research at the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates. Ms Kandil firmly believed that solid research in economics is key to development in the region and the prize is awarded in that spirit.
II. Age requirements
The prize is intended to support young researchers in their career development. You must be aged 35 or younger on 31 December 2021 to be eligible. Both single and co-authored papers will be considered. However, all authors of a co-authored paper must comply with the age limit.
For female applicants who are older than 35 but have taken a leave of absence and/or career break to look after their children, the stipulated age limit will be extended by one year per child up until the child’s seventh birthday. Submissions from male applicants will be considered under the same conditions, with the age limit being extended by the length of the leave of absence and/or career break taken, up to a maximum of one year per child. Should you fall into either of these categories, please attach evidence of the child’s date of birth and your relationship to the child. In the case of male applicants, please also attach documented evidence of periods of absence directly linked to the care of each child. The final decision on these extensions will be taken by the ERF Award Committee on the basis of the documentation provided.
III. Research paper criteria
Applicants must submit an original, completed paper on a topic related to the ERF’s mission of promoting high quality economic research to contribute to sustainable development in the Arab countries, Iran and Turkey. In particular, applications are invited from authors of papers covering at least one of the following topics:
- Macroeconomic Policies and Sustainable Growth
- Peace-Building And Reconstruction In Conflict Affected Arab Countries
- Aligning Incentives for Better Quality of Higher Education
- Women Economic Empowerment
- Environmental Challenges in the MENA Region
- Promoting Competitiveness of MSEs In The MENA Region
Special consideration will be given to papers with a focus on Arab countries
IV. Prize award criteria:
The ERF Award Committee will award the prize to the author(s) of the paper assessed as making the most outstanding contribution to a topic of interest and relevance to the ERF. The winner(s) will be expected to present their research findings at the ERF annual conference.
The prize amount is USD1,000 and is intended to support the recipient(s) in their research activities. The total cash award is the same for both single and co-authored papers. Should more than one winning paper be selected, the total cash award will be distributed equally between the authors of the prize-winning papers.
Papers that have already either been published by 31 December 2021 or accepted for publication in an academic journal by that date will not be considered. Papers submitted in previous competitions for this prize are also ineligible.
V. Award Committee
The Award Committee is comprised by the ERF Managing Director, MEDJ Managing Editor, 2 Research Fellows from ERF, and one external member chosen from academia.
VI. Submission procedure
Applications should be submitted by email to Professor Raimundo Soto (rsoto@erf.org.eg) by midnight CET on 31 December 2021. Your application should contain the following attachments in pdf format: (i) a completed paper; and (ii) a scanned copy of a passport or identity card for each of the paper’s authors.