Agricultural Economics Fellow and Agricultural Economics Trade Fellow Programs
Farm Foundation is pleased to offer the opportunity for outstanding early-to-mid career agricultural economists to join our team for one year.
Nomination FormCall for Nominations Now Open
About the Program
The Agricultural Economics Fellow program is designed to nurture a promising leader in the field and provides a post-Ph.D. agricultural economist with a unique yearlong opportunity to be mentored and mentor, provide thought leadership through publications and speaking appearances, expand their network, manage high-visibility projects and elevate their stature and reputation in the food and agricultural sectors. The 2025 fellowship is focused on the bioeconomy and related fields of applied economic research.
There are multiple initiatives, across the private sector and government at all levels, designed to expand market opportunities in the agricultural and bioeconomy sector and to enhance value of existing products derived from the land all while doing so in a more sustainable way. Investments include expanding access to clean energy systems and increase the availability of domestic biofuels that will create new market opportunities and jobs for the U.S. agricultural and food sectors while increasing America’s energy security and achieving climate goals.
The 2025 Agricultural Economics Fellowship will provide an opportunity for an agricultural economist with expertise in the bioeconomy field to connect with researchers in the USDA and other agencies, publish their research, network across the industry, and attend conferences and events.
This Fellow will work with diverse stakeholders on integrated systems approaches to develop a greater understanding of how the bioeconomy affects U.S. and global food and agricultural markets. The Ag Econ Fellow may focus work on connecting regulatory, legal, and institutional frameworks to conduct economic research and communicate findings related to renewable energy and the bioeconomy, including, but not limited to circular economy themes, sustainable aviation fuel, biofuel feedstocks, biogas, and bioenergy from biomass.
Frequently Asked Questions
Selection Process
+–Nominations will be accepted through November 18, 2024. Nominations from faculty or other professional references, as well as self-nominations, will be accepted.
By early December 2024, Farm Foundation will narrow the applicant pool to 2-3 final candidates.
Finalists will be asked to interview with Farm Foundation and other experts, with a final determination on the successful applicant to be made in mid-December 2024.
About the Agricultural Economics Fellowship
+–The Agricultural Economics Fellow program is designed to nurture a promising leader in the field and provides a post-Ph.D. agricultural economist with a unique yearlong opportunity to be mentored and mentor, provide thought leadership through publications and speaking appearances, expand their network, manage high-visibility projects and elevate their stature and reputation in the food and agricultural sectors. The 2025 fellowship is focused on the bioeconomy and related fields of applied economic research.
There are multiple initiatives, across the private sector and government at all levels, designed to expand market opportunities in the agricultural and bioeconomy sector and to enhance value of existing products derived from the land all while doing so in a more sustainable way. Investments include expanding access to clean energy systems and increase the availability of domestic biofuels that will create new market opportunities and jobs for the U.S. agricultural and food sectors while increasing America’s energy security and achieving climate goals.
The 2025 Agricultural Economics Fellowship will provide an opportunity for an agricultural economist with expertise in the bioeconomy field to connect with researchers in the USDA and other agencies, publish their research, network across the industry, and attend conferences and events.
This Fellow will work with diverse stakeholders on integrated systems approaches to develop a greater understanding of how the bioeconomy affects U.S. and global food and agricultural markets. The Ag Econ Fellow may focus work on connecting regulatory, legal. and institutional frameworks to conduct economic research and communicate findings related to renewable energy and the bioeconomy, including, but not limited to circular economy themes, sustainable aviation fuel, biofuel feedstocks, biogas, and bioenergy from biomass.
Expectations and Opportunities for the Agricultural Economics Fellow
+–– Participate and engage in Farm Foundation programs or events (e.g., attend or participate in relevant conferences)
– Produce several short written pieces, such as blog posts
– Author at least one issue paper on sustainable food systems
– Network and be mentored by staff in USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist, with at least six meetings anticipated
– Mentor and meet with participants in the Farm Foundation and USDA Economic Research Service Ag Scholars program on a recurring basis
– Mentor and meet with other participants in Farm Foundation’s suite of Next Generation programs as time and opportunities allow
Agricultural Economics Fellow Program Alumni
Farm Foundation Announces 2024 Agricultural Economics Trade and Sustainability Fellow
Dr. Sandro Steinbach
2024 Agricultural Economics Trade and Sustainability Fellow
Dr. Sandro Steinbach, an associate professor of agribusiness and applied economics at North Dakota State University, has been named as Farm Foundation’s 2024 Agricultural Economics Trade and Sustainability Fellow.
Dr. Steinbach’s teaching and research fields are predominately in international trade and agricultural policy. His most recent work is focused on the implications of market and policy shocks on global supply chains and investment activities. He studies the interplay between market structures, firm conduct, and economic welfare at different spatial and institutional scales. His research uses applied economics and data science methods to answer research questions relevant to agribusinesses, international trade and policy, human and animal health, and the environment. His work has appeared in Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, Economics Letters, the NBER Working Paper Series, and Nature Communications.
He is also the director of the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies and a faculty scholar of the Sheila and Robert Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth. Dr. Steinbach is a visiting scholar and consultant at the United States Department of Agriculture.
A citizen of Germany, Dr. Steinbach earned his BS degrees from the Humboldt University of Berlin and his MS degrees from the Humboldt University of Berlin and the University of California, Davis. In 2018, he completed his doctoral studies in Economics with the Center for Economic Research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.
Click the button below to learn about our program alumni and their work during their fellowships.
Agricultural Economics Fellow and Agricultural Economics Trade Fellow Alumni