2026 PhD Summer School: Development Economics

Dates 22-24, 2026

Taught by David MacKenzie, World Bank

This short course focuses on many of the issues that come up in designing and analyzing field experiments, that are often not so well covered in standard textbooks or in final research papers. We will start with the different designs that can be used to randomize one or more treatments, and the pros and cons to consider when choosing between these approaches. We will follow this with discussion of the use of pre-analysis plans and registered reports. The course will then turn to one of the key challenges facing all experiments- ensuring that there is sufficient statistical power to detect impacts. We will go through how to do a power calculation and how to avoid the typical ways this is done poorly, as well as different methods for boosting power. We conclude with discussions of multiple testing and with practical issues that arise in implementation of field experiments.

Day 1: How to randomize, and registration: different randomization designs, ethical considerations, and adaptive experiments. Persuading policymakers to randomize. Registering an experiment, and the difference between a pre-analysis plan, AEA registration, and registered report.

Day 2: Power calculations and boosting power: How to do power calculations, different approaches to boosting power in small samples.

Day 3: Multiple hypothesis testing and practical issues in implementation: how to think about measuring multiple impacts; dealing with issues like attrition, spillovers, and evaluation-driven effects.

The course is open to PhD students (local and international), postgraduate, and professionals who wish to widen their knowledge on development economics.

There is a limited number of seats available to participate. Thus, we recommend submitting your application as beforehand as possible according to the indicated deadlines.

The tuition fee covers the course, the coffee breaks and the social event.

Fees

First Round Evaluation

The PhD Summer School team will evaluate all complete applications received by March 15 and may make a first round of admissions offers. A second round of offers is made after the application deadline.

Payment of the course fee

Nova SBE will notify the summer school´s applicants via the email they provided on the application form. Students who are accepted will receive a link to pay via credit card.

Documentations

You will be asked to upload your CV and – if you are enrolled in a PhD/Postgraduate program – an official letter/document issued from your home university stating you are a student. You will also need to provide a paragraph explaining why you wish to attend the PhD Summer School.

Master alumni will need to upload their Master transcript when applying.

Please note that incomplete applications will not be processed.

2024 PhD Summer School: Development

Practical issues in designing and analyzing field experiments
Dates: June 24-26, 2024
Instructor: David McKenzie, World Bank
ECTS: 3

2023 PhD Summer School: Macroeconomics

Subjective Inflation Expectations: Measurement, Determinants, and Effects
Dates: June 19-22, 2023
Instructor: Michael Weber, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
ECTS: 3,5

2022 PhD Summer School: Development Economics

Module: Practical issues in designing and analyzing field experiments
Dates: June 27-30, 2022
Instructor: David McKenzie, the World Bank 
ECTS: 3,5

Module: Political economy and development
Dates: July 4-7, 2022
Instructor: Claudio Ferraz, Professor at the University of British Columbia
ECTS: 3,5

The 2021 PhD Summer School took place in a virtual format.

Module: Sovereign Debt Crises and Computational Methods
Dates: July 5-9
Instructor: Pablo A. Guerron-Quintana, Professor at Boston College
ECTS: 3,5

The 2020 edition was canceled due to the pandemic.

Module 1: Advancing the Frontiers of Monetary Policy
Dates: June 15-18, 2020
Instructor: Douglas Laxton, Nova SBR
ECTS: 3,5

Module 2: Applied Health Economics
Dates: June 22-26, 2020
Instructor: Maarten Lindeboom, VU University Amsterdam
ECTS: 3,5

Module 1: Gender, Politics and Policies
Dates: June 3-5, 2019
Instructor: Paola Profeta, Bocconi University
ECTS: 3,5

Module 2: Understanding and Evaluating Inflation-Targeting Central Banks
Dates: June 10-12, 2019
Instructor: Douglas Laxton, Nova SBE
ECTS: 3,5

The 2019 edition was co-organized with Lisbon School of Economics & Management (ISEG).

Module 1: Topics in Development and Political Economics
Dates: June 5-14
Instructor: Gianmarco León, Pompeu Fabra University
ECTS: 3,5

Module 2: Household Finance
Dates: June 5-14
Instructor: Kaveh Majlesi, Lund University
ECTS: 3,5

Module 1: Monetary Policy with Sticky Prices
Dates: June 19-30
Instructor: Luigi Paciello, Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance
ECTS: 3,5

Module 2: Topics in Behavioral Development Economics
Dates: June 19-30
Instructor: Danila Serra, Southern Methodist University in Dallas
ECTS: 3,5

Module 1: Networks Econometrics
Dates: June 14-24
Instructor: Marcel Fafchamps, Stanford University
ECTS: 3,5

Module 2: The Economics of Human Capital Formation
Dates: June 14-24
Instructor: Flávio Cunha, Rice University
ECTS: 3,5