The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Early-Career Research Fellowship program 2026 for early-career researchers (Fully Funded)

Application Deadline: 15^th July 2026.

Applications are actually open for the 2026 ARUA Early-Career Research Fellowship program. The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), with assist from the Mastercard Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, is launching this Early-Career Research Fellowship program. The initiative will fund as much as forty-two (42) early-career researchers to conduct globally aggressive analysis on the host and affiliated establishments of ARUA’s 13 (13) Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and the twenty-two (22) Africa-Europe Clusters of Excellence (CoREs). 

Each fellowship could have a period of six months, to be undertaken between March 2026 and February 2027. There shall be solely two graduation dates for the awards: March 2026 and September 2026. Candidates could choose their most well-liked fellowship interval as possibility 1, which runs from March to August 2026. 

Selection Criteria

• Applicants should be African nationals who’ve a PhD in a self-discipline/sub-discipline associated to the thematic space of the Centre of Excellence or Cluster of Research Excellence.
• Applicants should be inside 5 years of finishing their PhD
• Applicants needs to be younger college (or analysis) members at an ARUA college. Eligible candidates from non-ARUA Universities can apply.
• Female postdoctoral fellows shall be thought-about in restricted circumstances.
• The applicant shouldn’t be greater than 35 years previous on the time of making use of.
• Applicants ought to have a extremely aggressive observe report related to the chance and be prepared to develop a robust worldwide standing and analysis repute.
• Applicants should be accessible to spend 6 months away from their home college and be capable to return to their home establishment.
• Applicant should be engaged on an ongoing venture associated to the CoE or CoRE and have available information to perform the principle roles and duties (see part 3)
• Eligible girls are strongly inspired to apply. At least 70% of the fellowships shall be awarded to feminine candidates.

Benefits

• Successful candidates shall be contracted by ARUA for 6 months.
• The analysis fellowship shall present a month-to-month stipend of US$2,000, a modest cost for lodging, and journey assist (return ticket to host establishment).

Application Process:

To apply for this analysis fellowship, please submit the next paperwork:

• Cover letter outlining your causes for making use of for the place and particulars of how you’ll obtain the roles and duties of the place (see part 3). This ought to embrace an outline of your expertise within the related discipline and the way you meet the eligibility standards. The candidate should specify the actual ARUA CoE or Africa-Europe CoRE to which they’re making use of. If an applicant has beforehand frolicked on the proposed CoE or CoRE (e.g., as a pupil, postdoc, and so on.), the duvet letter ought to embrace a motivation for how this go to will construct on the pre-existing relationship. Applicants can also recommend potential supervisors whom they might have already contacted. Applicants also needs to define in the event that they require a visa to go to the host or an affiliated establishment of the CoE or CoRE and, if that’s the case, what’s required and the estimated processing time.
• Full CV, together with applicant particulars (e.g., date of beginning, passport quantity, nation of origin, citizenship, and so on.), particulars of doctoral diploma, {qualifications} obtained, analysis output, an outline of the applicant’s contribution in collectively authored publications, and particulars of two referees. In the case of shortlisted candidates, candidates shall be required to ask the referees to submit a quick report assessing the applicant’s suitability for the fellowship. Referees shouldn’t be based mostly on the proposed host CoE or CoRE.
• A Letter of Support from the applicant’s everlasting/home establishment, together with a sign of suitability for the place and that the candidate will return to the home establishment.
• Evidence of the Award of PhD.
• A Brief Concept Note (max. 1,500 phrases, together with references) outlining your proposed analysis venture/plan. Please be aware that the proposed analysis venture/plan needs to be possible throughout the fellowship interval (6 months) and properly aligned to the goals of the host CoE and CoRE. Candidates who can exhibit that they possess the required information or analysis supplies to assist their proposed analysis could have a major benefit.
• Two (2) tutorial writing similar to peer-reviewed journal articles, guide chapters, convention proceedings, coverage transient and so on. This shouldn’t be a chapter out of your doctoral thesis. In the case of a collectively authored piece, it is best to describe your contribution.
• The biodata web page of a legitimate passport

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the ARUA Early-Career Research Fellowship program