Overview

The International Rescue Committee’s Refugees in East Africa: Boosting Urban Innovations for Livelihoods Development (Re:BUiLD) program, in partnership with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), the World Bank, and other partners, will convene the second Evidence to Policy Research and Policy Symposium in November 2026.

Building on the momentum and outcomes of the 2024 symposium, the 2026 convening will bring together researchers, policymakers, refugees, practitioners, and donors to examine emerging evidence and translate it into actionable policy solutions that strengthen the economic inclusion of refugees and host communities.

The symposium will maintain a primary focus on Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia, while welcoming selected contributions from across the broader East Africa region to enrich comparative insights and strengthen regional dialogue on refugee economic inclusion.

Symposium Details

• Dates: 11–12 November 2026

• Location: Nairobi, Kenya.  

• Format: Two-day, in-person symposium

The Symposium is being co- funded by The IKEA Foundation, the Hilton Foundation and the World Bank.

Call for Papers and Abstracts

We invite researchers, academics, practitioners, policy analysts, refugees, and institutions to submit extended abstracts or papers for presentation at the 2026 Evidence to Policy Symposium.

Submissions should present policy-relevant evidence, implementation learning, or analytical insights that directly inform refugee economic inclusion policies and practices. We encourage submissions that are interdisciplinary and examine refugee economic inclusion in a holistic manner, such as the political or psycho-social aspects of economic inclusion and social integration.

Submit a Paper / Abstract

Thematic Areas

Submissions should address one or more of the following thematic areas:  

1.  Financial Inclusion and Micro-Enterprises

Topics may include (but are not limited to):

• Access to savings, credit, insurance, and digital financial services 

• Business formalization and regulatory compliance 

• Fintech, mobile money, and digital payments 

• Know-Your-Customer (KYC) and legal identity frameworks 

• Enabling environments for small and micro-enterprises 

2.  Access to Jobs, Labor Market Inclusion and Skills Development

Topics may include (but are not limited to):

• Work authorization and legal access to employment 

• Skills recognition, certification, and portability 

• Alignment of training systems with labor market demand 

• Employer incentives and hiring barriers 

• Urban employment, informality, and labor absorption 

• Gender and social barriers to labor force participation 

Types of Evidence Welcomed

The symposium is not limited to randomized controlled trials. We welcome a broad range of rigorous, transparent, and policy-relevant evidence, including:

• Experimental and quasi-experimental studies (including RCTs) 

• Quantitative or qualitative empirical research 

• Secondary data analysis, structured evidence reviews, and meta analyses 

• Implementation and operational learning 

• Program evaluations (including non-experimental) 

• Practice-based case studies and policy pilots 

Submissions should clearly articulate:

• The research or learning question  

• Methods or learning approach  

• Key findings or insights  

• Implications for policy, practice, and future research  

Across all types of evidence, we expect well-structured, transparent, and appropriate methodology to address clearly articulated research questions. For implementation/operational learning, case studies, or policy pilots, studies should also include an honest reflection of what worked, didn’t work, and why.

We strongly encourage submissions from individuals with lived experience of displacement, as well as from researchers and practitioners based in the East African region. We welcome refugee-led and locally-led research that reflects the realities and priorities of those most directly affected.

Submission Guidelines

• Submissions must be made in English  

• Authors may submit completed papers or extended abstracts for studies still in progress  

• Submissions should include:  

  • Study rationale and policy relevance  

  • Research design and methods (or learning approach)  

  • Ethical considerations  

  • Key findings or preliminary results  

  • Clear, actionable policy implications  

Detailed submission guidelines and the submission form can be accessed here.

Review and Selection Process 

All submissions will undergo a technical review led by the Symposium Technical Committee. Submissions will be assessed based on:

• Relevance to symposium themes  

• Methodological clarity or robustness of learning approach  

• Innovation and contribution to existing evidence  

• Strength of policy relevance and applicability  

Selected authors will be notified by 30 August 2026.

Important Dates 

• Call for Papers opens: 13 April 2026  

• Submission deadline: 30 June 2026  

• Notification of selected papers by: 30 August 2026  

• Symposium dates: 11–12 November 2026  

Participation 

Authors of selected papers are expected to present in person at the symposium in Nairobi. Limited support for participation may be available, subject to confirmation. Please note that limited logistical support (travel and accommodation) is available and will be prioritized for a selection of presenters, with consideration given to regional representation and diverse professional backgrounds. Applicants are therefore encouraged to indicate if they can self-sponsor or obtain support from their institutions. This will help ensure equitable allocation of available resources.

Researchers presenting accepted submissions will be encouraged to distill their study rationale, findings, and policy recommendations in a 10–15-minute maximum presentation. The majority of the audience will be policymakers from Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia, as well as humanitarian practitioners and donors who are eager to incorporate research findings into their decision-making. As such, we advise that selected presentations not dive too deeply into methodological nuances when unnecessary to communicating the important results and implications from the research, and that presentations provide these decision-makers with clear calls to action.

More Information

For inquiries, contact: info.rebuild@rescue.org (subject line: 2026 Research and Policy Symposium).

Program

To be updated.

Speaker Sections

To be updated.