Call for Chapter Proposals: Multilateral Development Banks
Research Handbook on Multilateral Development Banks, Edward Elgar Publishing
Editor: David Skidmore, Professor of Political Science, Drake University
Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) are among the most consequential and least well-understood institutions in global governance. This Research Handbook on Multilateral Development Banks will provide students, scholars, and practitioners with a single, authoritative reference on the major global and regional MDBs — their history, institutional design, development impact, and prospects for reform.
Several chapters have already been assigned to confirmed contributors. This call is for the remaining open chapters listed below, for which proposals are warmly invited.
Chapters Open for Proposals
Section I: Multilateral Development Bank Profiles
● International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
● European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
● Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Section II: The Institutional Design of MDBs
● Capital Adequacy and Balance Sheet Optimization
● Governance, Voting Rights, and Shareholder Dynamics
● Environmental, Social, and Governance Safeguards
● Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
● Transparency, Accountability, and Anti-Corruption Mechanisms
Section III: Impacts of MDB Lending
● MDBs and Economic Growth
● MDBs and Climate Finance
● MDBs and Infrastructure Financing
● MDBs and Gender Equity
Section IV: Reforming Multilateral Development Banks
● The Pact for Prosperity, People and the Planet (4P)
Chapters should provide a readable, authoritative overview of the state of knowledge on a well-defined topic related to MDBs, suitable for advanced undergraduates, beginning graduate students, established scholars seeking to get up to speed on a cognate research area, and practitioners working in or alongside MDBs. We welcome contributions from political scientists, economists, international relations scholars, development studies specialists, and practitioners. Both theoretical/conceptual and empirical contributions are welcome, as is methodological diversity. Chapters will average 6,000–7,000 words.
How to Propose a Chapter
Interested contributors should submit:
1. A brief abstract (300–500 words) outlining the proposed chapter’s scope, main themes, and approach
2. A current CV or brief biographical statement noting relevant expertise
Please indicate clearly which chapter topic you are proposing to write. Co-authored proposals are welcome.
Submit proposals to: [email protected]
Deadline for proposals: September 20, 2026