Program Description
The IGERT program in Politics, Economics, Psychology, and
Public Policy (PEPPP) seeks to foster graduate student and faculty research
at the intersection of the various social science disciplines. We wish to
encourage such interdisciplinary research with the dual aim of advancing
the social sciences and asking policy relevant questions that are in the
public interest. We believe that converging intellectual trends in
political science, economics, and psychology make it possible to both
invigorate social science research and improve public policy analysis by attacking
three generic policy problems from an interdisciplinary perspective:
- The participation problem:
encouraging the optimal level of participation in the political
system, in public programs, in families, and in voluntary
organizations by getting incentives right, overcoming psychological
biases, and designing the right institutional framework.
- The evaluation problem:
Reliably determining the impacts of programs and analyzing causal
relationships by tracing causal paths from policies to outcomes using innovative
research designs and quantitative and qualitative methods
- The implementation,
compliance, and principal-agent problem: Implementing legislation
consistent with original intent by negotiating political factors and
setting performance standards.
The core of the IGERT-PEPPP program is a two-year
fellowship program for Ph.D. students from the departments of political
science, economics, psychology, business, and public policy. A fuller
description of the program's intentions and structure can be found in the full
proposal text.
Who is eligible to
apply
The IGERT-PEPP program is open to Ph. D. students from
the departments of political science, economics, psychology, business, and
public policy who will have completed at least one year but not more than
two years of coursework by the fall of the academic year for which they are
applying. IGERT-PEPPP students must be U.S. citizens.
Elements of the IGERT-PEPP
fellowship
IGERT-PEPPP fellows will receive two-years of
fellowship support, with a stipend of $30,000 per year and $10,000 for
tuition and fees. Support will also be provided to attend two professional
conferences per year.
IGERT fellows will take three courses in addition to
the coursework of their home departments, attend a weekly research
workshop, and work closely with IGERT-affiliated faculty on individual and
collaborative research.
How to apply
The IGERT application consists of five components.
First, prospective IGERT fellows should write an essay
not to exceed three single-space pages describing the student's research
plans and interests and how this research plan fits within the substantive
thrust of the IGERT-PEPPP program.
Second, students must fill out a basic
application form..
Third, students should include a copy of their
graduate transcripts covering the courses taken at UC Berkeley.
Fourth, students should include a copy of their
curriculum vitae.
Finally, each student should request two letters of
recommendation from faculty members with whom they have taken a class or
with whom they have worked in some other capacity (instructions
for letter writers). Letters must be included in a sealed and signed
envelope along with other application material.
Deadlines for applying
for the 2009/2010 academic year
The application deadline to apply for the 2009/2010
cohort of IGERT fellows will be February 27th. The 2009/2010 incoming IGERT
fellows will be selected by April 1st 2009.
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