Virtual Young Scholars (VirtYS)

Program Goal: In the spirit of the GLO Mission, the goal of the GLO Virtual Young Scholars Program (GLO VirtYS) is to contribute to the development of the future generation of researchers, who are committed to the creation of policy-relevant research, are well equipped to work in collaboration with policy makers and other stakeholders, and adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity. This goal is achieved through the process of working on a specific research paper within the duration of the program, which is 9 months, and interact with the GLO VirtYS cohort and its advisors .

GLO VirtYS Program Director:

  • Dr Olena Nizalova, Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Health Economics at the University of Kent
Olena Nizalova

Dr Olena Nizalova is an Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Health Economics at the University of Kent. She received her doctoral degree at Michigan State University (USA) in 2006, and prior to joining the University of Kent worked at the Kyiv School of Economics.  Olena’s research interests are in the fields of labor and health economics, economics of aging, and policy evaluation. Her research focuses on the interplay between labour market, health and family obligations, be it the provision of informal care to elderly parents in the USA and Europe or the wage penalty for motherhood (Ukraine), or the impact of labor market outcomes on health and wellbeing. Her research has been supported by the European Commission, Wellcome Trust, MRC, UKAid, ESRC, World Bank, European Commission Horizon 2020 programme, Global Development Network, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ERSTE Foundation (Austria), and Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies (University of Michigan). Currently, Dr Nizalova’s studies the population health crisis in the countries of the former Soviet Union, with special emphasis on tuberculosis (impact of TB epidemic on individual and firms’ productivity), maternal and infant health (evaluation of the maternal and infant health interventions), and cardio-vascular diseases.

GLO VirtYS Program Assistant: Yannis Galanakis

GLO VirtYS Terms & Conditions

Program’s Advisory Board:

  • Jan van Ours, Professor of Applied Economics, Erasmus School of Economics Rotterdam, Netherlands, & Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne, Australia
  • Marie Claire Villeval, Research Professor, CNRS GATE, France
  • Marco Vivarelli, Professor at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milano and Director of the Department of Economic Policy
  • Le Wang, Chong K. Liew Chair and Professor & President’s Associates Presidential Professor, University of Oklahoma, USA
  • Klaus F. Zimmermann, Professor Emeritus, Bonn University, UNU-MERIT & President of GLO

Program’s Activities:

  • Virtual kick-off meeting of all the participants and Thematic Cluster advisors, who will be appointed by the participating Cluster leads to match closely participants’ research interests.
  • One-to-one activities with the Thematic Cluster Advisor will be agreed upon at the beginning of the scholarship period in an Individual Research Plan. These activities at a minimum shall include 2-3 virtual consultations, 1 review round of the completed research work and a discussion of the amendments (if needed) to follow up.
  • Provide a virtual platform for the GLO VirtYS program participants to present their findings and receive feedback from their peers and the GLO wider community.
  • The scholarship will conclude in June 2023 followed by the presentations by the scholars within the GLO-wide seminar series in September 2023, after which the GLO Management Board will make a decision on whether to extend an invitation to the graduate of the GLO Virtual Scholar Program to join the organization as a GLO Fellow, based on the recommendation from their Thematic Cluster Advisors and evaluation of the GLO VirtYS Advisory Board.

Benefits to the GLO VirtYS Scholars:

  • No fees: Participation is free for the scholars.
  • All GLO VirtYS program participants will be appointed GLO Affiliates, if they are not already, and receive a GLO Bio page.
  • GLO VirtYS program participants will be listed with pictures on the glabor.org website of the program.
  • Feedback on their research from leading researchers in the area of their interest.
  • Networking opportunities with researchers from other countries within the same area and beyond.
  • (Priority) access to GLO activities.
  • Interactions with the scholars of the cohort, program’s alumni, and the future cohorts.
  • Opportunity to promote own research via GLO channels.
  • Completed research paper ready for submission to the GLO Discussion Paper series.
  • Possibility of promotion to GLO Fellow after exceptional performance.

Eligibility criteria:

  • Applicant must be either currently enrolled in a doctoral program or be within 2 years after graduation as evidenced by the letter from the degree awarding institution or a degree certificate.
  • Applicant must be at an advanced stage of the analysis of a specific research question within the corresponding GLO Thematic Cluster to which he/she is applying as evidenced by the submitted draft.
  • Applicant must be supported by a letter of endorsement from either one of the GLO Fellows or from the administration of one of the GLO supporting institutions.

2024-25 GLO Virtual Young Scholars Program (GLO VirtYS)

2023-24 GLO Virtual Young Scholars Program (GLO VirtYS)

2022-23 GLO Virtual Young Scholars Program (GLO VirtYS)

2021-22 GLO Virtual Young Scholars Program (GLO VirtYS)

2020-21 GLO Virtual Young Scholars Program (GLO VirtYS)

2019-20 GLO Virtual Young Scholars Program (GLO VirtYS)

Ends;