To encourage a new generation of urban policymakers and promote early career research, the Wilson Center’s Comparative Urban Studies Project, USAID, the International Housing Coalition, the World Bank, and Cities Alliance are co-sponsoring a fourth annual paper competition for graduate- and PhD-level students focused on the challenges facing urban centers in the developing world.

Winning papers will be published and selected authors will present their work in a policy workshop to be held at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., in November. A grand prize winner will be awarded $1,000.

The deadline for the submission of abstracts is March 15, 2013.

Papers must be linked to one of the following sub-topics:

Gender and Urban Development. Explore the challenges and opportunities facing women in the urban environment. Paper topics might include: women and urban labor markets; urbanization and gender-based violence; gender-sensitive considerations in urban design and infrastructure; gendered approaches to urban planning and policymaking; or the impact of urbanization on women’s health.

Big Data for Smarter Urban Development. Papers on this topic should explore the application of “big data” to key urban development challenges and provide fresh ideas on how “smart city” technologies can be adapted to improve decision-making and urban management. Submissions from the perspective of urban planning, public policy, and economics are as welcome as those focusing on the more technical aspects of “big data.”

Incremental Housing Approaches. Papers on this topic might cover innovative ways to support incremental development of land, housing and/or infrastructure, or other recommendations thinking beyond traditional master planning, urban upgrading, and housing finance.

For detailed competition guidelines and requirements, and further information on the sub-topics, please see the full call for papers.