Deadline: December 1st 2023 | AfricaLics Visiting PhD Fellowships 2024 For Young African PhD Students
| Title; | AfricaLics Visiting PhD Fellowships 2024 For Young African PhD Students |
| Organisation; | The AfricaLics |
| Fund/Grant; | Fellowships in Africa |
| Deadline; | 1st December 2023 |
| Eligible countries: | African Countries |
The AfricaLics PhD Visiting Fellowship Programme, with a focus on innovation and development for the 2024 cohort, is currently accepting applications from qualified PhD students at African universities. AfricaLics is the African Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence Building Systems.
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Successful candidates will have the chance to take part in a fellowship course under this initiative, which ideally combines three months of study at the University of Johannesburg (UJ)[1] in South Africa with online pre- and post-activities. The three-month study visit to UJ is, however, contingent upon financing availability, and interested students are asked to assist in their own fund-raising efforts (see to the section on funding concerns).
The activities for the 2024 VFP cohort are scheduled to begin in February 2024 and terminate in late November or early December 2024. The activities will consist of a variety of online tasks. Activities will include three to five paper presentation seminars, a writing skills course, a session on “How to write an Academic Journal Article,” and a quick introduction to I&D studies as the AfricaLics network defines this topic. In addition to online activities, a three-month study tour at UJ will be included if funding allow. Students have the option to stay in touch with the AfricaLics community after completing the degree by taking part in webinars, research conferences, and activities for alumni of the organisation. In this approach, experts and students support one another in their academic endeavours and have the opportunity to further the subject of African Innovation and Development studies.
Requirements
- PhD candidates from African nations classified by the OECD/DAC as low- and lower-middle-income countries are eligible for the scholarship, provided that their research, regardless of sector, focuses on the connection between innovation and environmentally, socially, or economically sustainable development.
- As AfricaLics works to increase the existing low number of female academics in Innovation and Development research studies in Africa, female PhD students are especially urged to apply. Likewise, as AfricaLics works to enhance research capacity in Innovation and Development in low-income countries in Africa, PhD students from these nations are especially encouraged to apply.
- By December 2023, candidates must be enrolled in PhD programmes in African universities and have finished their first year of study.
- The final number of visiting fellows admitted will rely on the thorough evaluation of all applications and the availability of financing. In 2024, there will be a maximum of four to six visiting scholarships available.
- The visiting fellowship is intended to supplement the PhD programmes at the applicants’ home universities, and candidates must already have obtained the necessary funding for their studies from other sources (such as self-financing, other organisations, or African governments). PhD candidates interested in the curriculum are required to contribute to the fund-raising for a study tour to UJ, for example, by applying to WARA or their own university.
Eligibility
Candidates for the PhD visiting fellowship programme at AfricaLics ought to:
- Be enrolled in an African university as a PhD candidate.
- Have finished their first academic year by December 2023
- Possess a foundation in geography, history, development studies, science and technology policy, economics, sociology, political science, or geography (BSc, MSc, etc.). Candidates may also work in manufacturing or in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics), but from a social science standpoint.
- Have sufficient English language proficiency (proof may be required).
- Be actively engaged in a project that relates to the previously defined field of innovation and development.
- Send in a one-page, 500-word application outlining your background, your reasons for applying, and the results you hope to achieve by participating in the AfricaLics PhD visiting fellowship programme.
The time of study
- During the study period, which runs from February 1, 2024, to December 15, 2024, successful PhD students will have the chance to participate in up to five paper presentation seminars and a course on writing skills and “How to write an Academic Journal Article” through online activities offered by the visiting scholarship. Throughout the study period, students will have the chance to take part in the AfricaLics PhD Academy, which is held in May or June every year. It is anticipated to be a physical event in 2024, but if fund-raising efforts for a physical PhD academy are unsuccessful, it may instead become a virtual event.
- As previously indicated, a three-month study stay at the University of Johannesburg’s Johannesburg campus is included in the study duration. The research stay is planned to last from September 1, 2024, to November 30, 2024, subject to successful fundraising; specific dates will be announced soon.
Application Conditions
The following files need to be sent with the application:
- A five-page maximum synopsis of your current PhD study, including training plans
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) (containing courses completed towards a PhD)
- Supporting letter from the primary PhD supervisor attesting to the PhD candidate’s completion of the upgrade and probation by the end of December 2023
- A letter of recommendation from the PhD student’s university, issued by the administration
- Copies of academic credentials (at least copies of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees)
- A single example of writing (a chapter or article) from a current PhD programme
For more information, visit the AfricaLics Visiting PhD Fellowships 2024 Official Website.
