Research Initiatives
King Center research initiatives bring together communities of scholars working on sustained global development and poverty alleviation research agendas.
Learn more about the Request for Proposals (RFP) and application process

African Urbanization and Development Research Initiative
The African Urbanization and Development Research Initiative (AUDRI) is a research program focusing on the determinants of household welfare and firm growth in two of the fastest growing cities in sub-Saharan Africa: Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire).
Read more about AUDRI
Conflict and Polarization
A large body of research has shown the substantial role that violent conflict plays in underdevelopment around the world, particularly in the most vulnerable communities.
Read more about the Conflict and Polarization initiative
Data for Development
The Data for Development initiative explores low-cost, unconventional data streams and helps academics, policymakers, and business leaders craft solutions with real-world impacts on global poverty.
Read more about the Data for Development initiative
Extreme Poverty, Infrastructure, and Climate
The Extreme Poverty, Infrastructure, and Climate (EPIC) initiative seeks to shed light on how infrastructure investments can spur poverty alleviation, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
Read more about the EPIC initiative
Firms and Global Productivity
The Firms and Global Productivity initiative seeks to understand the underlying forces that drive productivity and how those forces affect economic growth in developing countries.
Read more about the Firms and Global Productivity initiative
Gender-based Violence in the Developing World
Initiative team members aim to better understand the larger context of violence against women in low- and middle-income countries.
Read more about Gender-based Violence in the Developing World
Guestworker Migration
The Guestworker Migration initiative analyzes the impacts of short-term labor migration on agricultural employers, migrants, and origin communities to inform the development of productive, effective, and humane immigration policy.
Read more about the Guestworker Migration initiative
Improving Health, Intelligence and Economic Growth by Reducing Lead Exposure
The initiative identifies stakeholders in the acid battery recycling and leaded paint industries and aims to produce long-term, viable solutions to remove lead from the value chain or find ways to ensure it does not contaminate the environment.
Read more about reducing lead exposure
Migration and Development
The Migration and Development initiative seeks to reposition migration as a powerful catalyst for development in low-income countries.
Read more about the Migration and Development initiative
Inclusive Democracy and Development Lab
In partnership with a political party in India and a large central government Ministry, the Inclusive Democracy and Development Lab will focus on improving women’s representation at all levels of the political process.
Read more about the Inclusive Democracy and Development Lab
Stanford Human Trafficking Data Lab
Human trafficking for forced labor or sexual exploitation poses unique challenges for policymakers. However, little is known about how the market for trafficked individuals works – and ultimately, how to prevent these crimes.
Read more about the Stanford Human Trafficking Data LabPrevious Initiatives
Read more about initiatives previously funded by the King Center.
Read more about the King Center's previously supported initiativesRequest for Proposals
The King Center invites proposals from Stanford faculty for multi-faculty initiatives harnessing and developing the university’s distinctive strengths in research on global development and poverty.
Review the RFP and application process