Development Planning Dissertation Fellowship Scheme

Our students can complete their dissertations in fellowship with reputable development organisations, working towards the resolution of real-world challenges.

About the scheme

The Dissertation Fellowship scheme links students to reputable international NGOs, project partners of ongoing research at The Bartlett Development Planning Unit, and development consultancies who have defined several topics that could potentially form dissertation options. If students feel that the topics match their own interests, then this could potentially become one route to follow in undertaking a dissertation. There are only a limited number of possible titles, and so a competitive application process will determine a partnership between a student and the organisation. If selected, the student completes their dissertation with the relevant supervisor for that fellowship. 

The foundation of your future career

The advantages for choosing this option include: 

• Your dissertation will be relevant to the current work of an international development organisation. 
• You will have access to a member of staff and relevant data (but NO fieldwork and/or primary data collection is expected). 
• A summary of your dissertation will be published in an appropriate form (e.g., policy brief, blog post), subject to agreement over edits to ensure that high standards are maintained with respect to the work itself and any pertinent copyright or other issues.
• You will receive a letter stating that you have done this research with them. 
• In the past, these fellowships have offered important opportunities for professional development and, in some cases, led to research collaborations, internships, and employment.

However, none of this is part of the programme and there is no further commitment beyond your dissertation. 

Our partners

Examples of dissertation topics and the reputable international NGOs, project partners and civil society actors that students have previously worked with include:

• Equitable and culturally appropriate 'development' in Berbera, Somaliland with Berbera Cultural Centre, The Red Sea Cultural Foundation and the private sector.
• Tackling the sanitation taboo across urban Africa with the OVERDUE project, Knowledge in Action for Urban Equality (KNOW) project, Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC), and FACE in Mozambique.
• Housing and energy with GEMDev, Mahila Housing Trust, CENCA, and CIDAP, and SEA (Peru).
• Refugee hotspots - impacts and innovations with the University of Deusto, Samos volunteers, and Zaporeak.
• Racial justice and gender justice for development planning with Christian Aid.
• Children participating in shaping formal education environments with CatalyticAction.
• Towards Marrakech's urban health profile with UCL Global Engagement and the High Atlas Foundation.
• Harnessing synergies to meet SDG11 and beyond with ToolSanDurban, eThekwini municipality, and The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction.
• Disaster resilient infrastructure with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. 
• Rethinking regeneration in Southwark's Old Kent Road with the Southwark Planning Network, Vital Old Kent Road, and Old Kent Road Community Campaign.
• Protest, solidarity and gender with King's College London.
• The role of an INGO in socially just programmes in informal settlements with WaterAid.
• Mapping intersectionality in neighbourhood upgrading with Universidad del Valle and Gridding Equitable Urban Futures in Areas of Transition (GREAT). 
• UCL-Osaka University Walking Cities Lab Dissertation Fellowship. 
• Healthy parks with Camden and Islington local authorities. 
• Cities after dark - a London Living Wage for nocturnal workers with Autonomy, the Greater London Authority 24-hour team, and local/regional government.
• Excavating urban displaceability with the UCL Cities Partnerships programme.
• Transitions to sustainable urban mobility in Sub-Sarahan African cities with T-SUM, Sierra Leone Urban Research Centre (SLURC), Freetown City Council, Greater Maputo Metropolitan Transport Authority, and local government.