Fiona Bare

About me

I am an incoming Postdoctoral Associate at the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Starting in July 2027, I will join the Department of Political Science at MIT as an Assistant Professor.

My research centers on the political economy of climate finance, the incentives and constraints shaping decarbonization, and firms’ influence on policymaking. My dissertation, “The Politics of International Climate Finance,” asked: Why does climate finance remain stubbornly slow to generate mitigation and adaptation outcomes, even as donor commitments grow and global need becomes more urgent? I show how uncertainty, institutional constraints, and political incentives obstruct the translation of commitments into action, illuminating the persistent gap between promises and delivery in climate finance. My broader research agenda bridges the study of firms, domestic politics, and international institutions to explain how climate cooperation unfolds.

I received my Ph.D. in Politics from Princeton University in 2026. At Princeton, I was affiliated with the Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance. I was awarded the Prize Fellowship for the Social Sciences by Princeton University for 2025 – 2026. I was also a a graduate student fellow with the Princeton Sovereign Finance Lab (PSFL), an Environmental Policy Associate with the Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment (CPREE), and an Energy and Climate Scholar through the High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI).

Prior to pursuing graduate studies, I worked as a strategy consultant at Camber Collective, a boutique social impact firm where I supported clients such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the World Bank, and the Center for Global Development.

I hold a B.A. with honors in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (summa cum laude) from Claremont McKenna College and an M.A. in Politics from Princeton University.

I am originally from the Midwest, growing up between eastern Michigan and the Chicago suburbs. In my free time, I prioritize spending time outdoors – hiking, climbing, skiing, and gardening. I also enjoy cooking, live music, and reading.