Answers to commonly asked questions regarding applications for the Public Financial Management Research Program for Graduate Students (2025):
| Questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Can someone who is not a graduate student, but a PFM experienced person and PEFA Assessor apply? | No, this program is only for current graduate students (Ph.D. or Masters) only. |
| Can the student use same topic or part of the topic used for research during the course? | Yes, applicants can use the same topic and part of the research work that they are currently doing for their Ph.D. if it aligns with the suggested PFM areas, addresses a knowledge gap, contributes to strengthening PFM systems, and demonstrates potential for impact. |
| Can a current student who will soon complete graduation requirements still apply? | Yes, please ensure that the applicants’ research guide / supervisor confirms in the letter that quality assurance will be conducted by them even after graduation (if the final report is presented after graduation). |
| Is it permissible for the research proposal to incorporate other data sources, or must it rely exclusively on PEFA data? | Yes, use of other data sources is encouraged in addition to use of PEFA data (https://www.pefa.org/assessments/batch-downloads). We encourage studies where PEFA scores and/or their variations serve as the dependent (outcome) variable. The selection of independent (explanatory) variables is open but must be justified by relevant literature. |
| Does the final paper need to be published immediately, or can I continue developing the work after submitting the final draft report? | The output of the research must be a publishable quality manuscript to be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. There will be flexibility regarding timing of publication. Research scholar can continue developing the work after submitting the final draft report, as long as the final manuscript meets the quality standards and is accepted after internal university quality assurance is completed. |
| Can a student who completes Masters / PhD in 2026 or later apply? | Yes, any current Graduate Student can apply. |
| What are the timelines for the program? | • Submission of questions from potential applicants: March 31, 2025. • Publication of answers by PEFA Secretariat: April 11, 2025. • Submission of proposals by potential applicants: April 24, 2025. • Contractual process: May 2025. • Submission of Detailed Annotated Outline: August 31, 2025. • Submission of final draft Report: November 30, 2025 The final research is to be submitted by November 30, 2025. If you anticipate completing your Ph.D. research around 2026 or later this time limit may not align with your schedule. |
| Does PEFA Secretariat offer research training opportunities at your headquarters in order to do research and use PEFA data and work in PEFAs’ Library | No, PEFA Secretariat does not offer training in research. PEFA data is publicly available from website www.pefa.org. Further, if necessary, data access will be facilitated to selected candidates. |
| What do you mean by ‘Graduate Students’? | "Graduate students" are individuals enrolled in master's and doctoral programs. The candidate must be actively pursuing a graduate degree at the time of application. |
The page for the Invitation for Expression of Interest for the Public Financial Management Research Program for Graduate Students can be found here.
