BIEA Research Fellowship for Early-Career East African Researchers 2023

The BIEA seeks to appoint an early career researcher who has successfully completed doctoral studies within the last 5 years (with allowance made for family-related or other relevant career breaks), to fill a full-time six-month Research Fellow position at our research hub in Nairobi, Kenya.

Candidates should work in any discipline of the humanities and social sciences and must be able to demonstrate their research is aligned with one of our six Research Themes:

• Retelling the Past
• Changing Environments
• Urban Lives
• Technologies of Politics
• Next Generations
• Epidemics, pandemics and epizootics

In line with Kenyan Government employment policies, we seek to fill this post with a Kenyan Citizen. This is an in-person role, i.e., the successful candidate will be expected to work at the BIEA offices rather than remotely.

The purpose of the Research Fellowship is, first and foremost, to develop an existing research collaboration that includes at least one UK-based academic and that includes BIEA as a partner. As such, funding is available to host a workshop at the BIEA to bring together a certain number of international collaborators for the purpose of developing a funding application for the research collaboration. This funding proposal must be ready to submit to potential funders by the end of the fellowship.

BIEA Research Fellows are expected to contribute to BIEA activities. The successful candidate will be assigned certain academic / administrative activities for which they will take a strategic lead and responsibility. They will be expected to contribute to the running of, and to participate in, the BIEA’s other activities.

About British Institute in East Africa (BIEA)

The British Institute in Eastern Africa has been active since 1960 and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The Institute exists to promote research in all the disciplines in the humanities and social sciences within the wider region of eastern Africa. It has a strong tradition of research in anthropology, archaeology, history and linguistics, and recent projects have embraced political, environmental and development studies, geography, public health, and art and performance. Its renovated research centre in Nairobi provides work space and accommodation for researchers and visiting acade... read more

BIEA Research Fellowship

Aim and Benefits of BIEA Research Fellowship

In addition to conducting and publishing their own high-impact research, BIEA Research Fellows are expected to contribute to BIEA activities. As such each will be assigned certain academic activities for which they will take a strategic lead and responsibility, and will also be expected to contribute to the running of, and to participate in, the BIEA’s other activities.

Requirements for BIEA Research Fellowship Qualification

In line with Kenyan Government employment policies, we seek to fill this post with a Kenyan Citizen. This is an in-person role, i.e., the successful candidate will be expected to work at the BIEA offices rather than remotely.

Key duties of the BIEA Research Fellows, in consultation with the Kenya Country Director, will include:

• Conducting research in his/her own field of specialisation of strategic relevance to the BIEA, including carrying out field work or other research activities, and publishing peer-reviewed and popular outputs (including on our website and social media). A small research budget is available, but candidates are expected to apply for external funding to supplement this. At least one research paper must be submitted to a peer reviewed publication within the course of the year.
• Developing a funding proposal for a research collaboration that includes at least one UK-based academic and that includes BIEA as a partner, that must be submitted during the year to a specified funding organisation.
• Contributing to the academic environment of the BIEA by support visiting researchers and our academic partners with information and advice.
• Encouraging a collegiate and dynamic academic environment by, for example, organizing research seminars and participating in workshops and training programmes being run by the BIEA.
• Overseeing certain aspects of our BIEA activities such as our graduate training programmes and contributing to the production of our Annual Review.
• Representing the BIEA at academic meetings and conferences, and helping the BIEA to develop its networks and partnerships.

Interview date, Process and Venue for BIEA Research Fellowship

BIEA 6-month Research Fellowships, Further details:

Key duties of the BIEA Research Fellow, in consultation with the Kenya Country Director, will include:

• Developing a funding proposal for a research collaboration that includes at least one UK-based academic and that includes BIEA as a partner, that must be submitted to a funding body by the end of the fellowship. A specified amount of funding is available to hold a workshop towards the end of August to enable the development of the project via an in-person meeting in Nairobi.
• Working on publishing peer-reviewed and popular outputs (including on our website and social media).
• Contributing to the academic environment of the BIEA by supporting visiting researchers and our academic partners with information and advice.
• Encouraging a collegiate and dynamic academic environment by, for example, organizing research seminars and participating in workshops and training programmes being run by the BIEA.
• Overseeing certain aspects of our BIEA activities.
• Representing the BIEA at academic meetings and conferences as required, and helping the BIEA to develop its networks and partnerships.

Particulars for applicants:

• In line with Kenyan Government employment policies, we seek to fill this post with a Kenyan Citizen.
• Applicants must be available to start on 1st July 2023. 
• Applicants should have completed a PhD in the last five years (with allowance made for family-related or other relevant career breaks) or be able to demonstrate that they are about to complete a PhD (i.e., the application must include a letter from the PhD supervisor confirming that the applicant has submitted and is awaiting their viva) on a regionally relevant topic within the disciplines of the humanities and social sciences.
• Applicants should be working on a research project that will contribute innovative and policy-relevant scholarship in the humanities and social sciences as they concern Eastern Africa, and Africa more generally.
• Applicants should have excellent English written and oral communication skills.
• Applicants based at a university or other organisation must have secured support from their employer for permission to take up a six-month external post.
• Salary and benefits package are offered at a competitive rate.
• Applications from academics whose research extends beyond the traditional geographical and research focus of the BIEA are particularly encouraged.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted to [email protected] by 1700h EAT on 12th June 2023. Your application will include a full CV (maximum 2 pages) with details of two references. In addition, the following documents are required:

• An outline of a research collaboration concept that includes at least one UK-based academic and that includes BIEA as a partner. The aims, objectives, output and longer-term objectives of the research should be detailed. A list of collaborators and their host institutions should be included, and possible funding bodies should be mentioned alongside deadlines for funding application submission (1 page). Note: it is expected that candidates have already agreed to the development of the research project with the potential collaborators at the point of application.
• Ideas for contributing to and developing the academic environment of the BIEA (maximum 1 page).

Potential applicants may contact the BIEA’s Acting Country Director, Dr Kennedy Gitu, with any specific questions: [email protected]

For more details, visit BIEA website.