We are delighted to announce that CEPR, in partnership with the UK Department for International Development (DFID), is embarking upon a major new research initiative on Private Enterprise in Low-Income Countries (PEDL). The 5-year programme will invest £15 million into research (predominantly) and policy uptake activities on private enterprise development in low-income countries.

The initiative, which is the largest research endeavour undertaken on the subject, will be led by CEPR Research Fellow, Christopher Woodruff, Professor of Economics at Warwick University. Grants for more than 30 major research projects and around 80 smaller exploratory projects will be awarded on a competitive tendering basis.

PEDL aims to enhance our understanding of how market forces in developing countries interact to impede private-sector efficiency, which is increasingly recognised as a critical component of sustained economic growth. The research initiative seeks to improve both academic understanding and to influence relevant public policies. The agenda is focused on low-income countries, and, in particular, those that are emerging from violent conflict.

The research agenda will include a variety of issues involved in private enterprise in low-income countries. Among the targets are the knock-on effects and constraints one industry may have on another, the dynamics of informal enterprises and entrepreneurship and the role of export-oriented industries in driving growth.

The Call for Exploratory Grants is now open. The Call for Major Grants will be announced in mid-January 2012.

For further information please visit: www.pedl.cepr.org or email: pedl@cepr.org