Stay Informed

Join our mailing list. The OPHI e-mail list provides monthly concise updates including events, opportunities and research findings.

Spend time on our website.  You may like to read about our research, impact on policy, where we work, or forthcoming news and events. If you have any suggestions on our website, please email our communication staff.

Learn about the Human Development & Capability Association (HDCA). The HDCA is an association of researchers and practitioners whose work develops and advances the human development and capability approach. The Association has an informative website, including briefings on key themes, an extensive bibliography, thematic groups (including a graduate student network), a members’ directory, unpublished manuscripts, teaching resources, and news and events. You can join HDCA to access members-only resources and receive the Journal of Human Development and Capability. HDCA provides a swift way to connect with others with similar interests.

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Support OPHI

Volunteer. OPHI is significantly indebted to our volunteers. We are interested in identifying professional volunteer placements for colleagues who are retired, or available for pro bono work in certain specific areas, or work supported by their current organization. These range from ‘administrative’ tasks to research, policy outreach, and fundraising. Please write to us, introducing yourself – your interests and skills and experience – and when you would be available. Please also send your full contact details. We will either contact you for an interview immediately or else keep your details on file for an appropriate opportunity.

Financial Support. OPHI is entirely funded by grants and private donations from governments, international agencies, foundations and individuals. We receive both annual funding and endowment gifts. If you wish to support OPHI please see our page on giving. You may also email John Hammock, who will be glad both to answer any questions you have about OPHI. Contributions to Oxford University are tax deductible in the USA. A list of OPHI supporters can be found here.

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Research, Visiting and Work Exchange

OPHI engages with and learns from researchers in the global South and North. We welcome a limited number of academic visitors every year, whose work directly advances our current research agenda and who engage with OPHI’s ongoing studies.

Below please find the various categories of visitors and instructions on how to apply. Please keep in mind that funding is not normally available for visitors. Desk space, which is open plan, is also constrained.

VISITING FELLOWS. OPHI offers several positions for visiting researchers each year. We welcome applications from academic scholars, and other professionals, who wish to pursue their research in collaboration with OPHI staff. Visiting Fellows may be on sabbatical leave from their institution or sponsored by external organisations. These positions are not open to students; however, postgraduate students can apply to be a visiting student.

Costs and funding. Affiliated Visiting Fellows contribute 1,200 GBP per term and receive an Oxford University card, which provides access to libraries, computing services and some College and University buildings,  and desk space for the duration of their visit. These positions are normally non-stipendiary but full or partial scholarships are sometimes available to visitors from developing countries. If you wish to be considered for such funding, please indicate this in your application and specify the areas that you would need assistance for, e.g. flights.

How to apply. Please send your curriculum vitae, the names and contact details of two referees, two samples of current or published work, a two-page proposal of the research you would advance and the anticipated output, with a note about how it relates to or builds on OPHI’s current research areas to ophi@qeh.ox.ac.uk.

Visiting Fellows normally stay with us for one or two terms. Please specify your proposed start and finish dates (or if these are flexible, the maximum and minimum duration).

Deadlines. There is a rolling application process, with three deadlines each year, on 1 January, 1 April and 1 October. Applications received within each period will be assessed after the next closing date. Please send all applications to ophi@qeh.ox.ac.uk.

VISITING STUDENTS. OPHI is able to supervise a limited number of visiting students, whose research interests directly relate to OPHI’s research agenda. Visiting Students work from shared library facilities and may attend some lectures.

Funding. Visiting Student positions are normally non-stipendiary. However, OPHI may be able to offer partial funding for visitors from developing countries. If you wish to be considered for such funding, please indicate this in your application and specify the areas that you would need funding e.g. flights.

How to apply. Please send your curriculum vitae, the names and contact details of two referees and a two-page proposal of the research you would advance and how it relates to or builds on OPHI’s current research areas to ophi@qeh.ox.ac.uk.

Visiting Students normally stay with us for one or two terms. Please specify your proposed start and finish dates (or if these are flexible, the minimum and maximum duration).

Deadlines. There is a rolling application process, with three deadlines each year, on 1 January, 1 April and 1 October. Applications received within each period will be assessed after the next closing date. Please send all applications to ophi@qeh.ox.ac.uk.

Enquiries. All enquiries about becoming a Visiting Fellow or Visiting Student at OPHI should be sent to Tery van Taack, Project Coordinator. Email: ophi@qeh.ox.ac.uk, Tel: 00 44 1865 271 911

POST-DOCTORAL POSITIONS. If you would like to apply for an externally-funded post-doctoral position (for example, Economic and Social Research Council) that would support research directly relating to OPHI’s current research themes, please provide similar materials as for the Visiting Fellows but state clearly in the subject line and covering letter that this is for an externally-funded post-doctoral fellowship, and provide information on the institutions to which you would intend to submit the application. Please generally allow one month for a response to your request (there may be delays in July/August). If accepted we will work with you to finalize the funding application. Note that in addition to their core research activities, OPHI post-doctoral researchers participate in common activities such as in-house seminars, relevant research workshops, preparation of research materials for the website and so on.

Internships. OPHI has the capacity for a limited number of interns, though not necessarily during the summer months. Those interested in an internship at OPHI should supply a:

1. letter of application that articulates your interest in this work, the preferred timing for and length of the internship and the skills you would bring to OPHI. Please include concrete examples of work experience and the skills used,
2. detailed curriculum vitae, including contact details and a list of publications (if relevant) and experience.

This is a rolling application process, with three deadlines each year, on 1 January, 1 April, and 1 October. Applications received in each period will be assessed after the next closing date. Enquiries may be made by e-mail: ophi@qeh.ox.ac.uk.

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Study at Oxford

Doctoral work. OPHI is able to co-supervise or informally support University of Oxford social science DPhil students whose research interests directly relate to the current research agenda and to the work of OPHI. All students must locate independent funding, and obtain admission through the usual procedures in the University of Oxford. Information on these procedures can be found here. Information about the funding options of which we are aware, can be found here. Due to our limited capacity, OPHI only accepts doctoral students whose work focuses directly on one of our research areas.

Graduate Studies. The Oxford Department of International Development, Queen Elizabeth House, offers a number of masters’ courses. OPHI teaches on several graduate level courses at the University of Oxford, including on the Poverty and Human Development module of the MPhil in Development Studies. Information on these courses, and also on the funding options of which we are aware, can be found here.

Visiting Students. OPHI is able to supervise a limited number of self-funded visiting students whose research interests directly relate to OPHI’s research agenda. See above for further details.

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Short Courses and Specialized Training

Engage OPHI for specialized training. Please contact us directly if you wish to arrange self-funded OPHI short courses for graduate students, researchers, or practitioners: ophi@qeh.ox.ac.uk

Short Courses and e-learning materials. Periodically OPHI offers short courses on our methodologies, both to quantitative social scientists, and to practitioners. OPHI also makes teaching and learning materials from past courses available online. Information on these courses and e-learning materials can be found on our short courses pages.

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Work for OPHI

No vacancies at present – check back here for new opportunities when they become available.

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