Harvard University Center for African Studies Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program for African Researchers 2022

 The Center for African Studies Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program is aimed at providing opportunities for postdoctoral candidates to conduct independent research, publish, and increase knowledge in their fields of study that will be beneficial to the African continent and to prepare them to be successful in their chosen career paths. An applicant should have received their PhD (preference will be given to those who completed PhD in past five years) and hold an academic appointment at a university or research institution in Africa. This includes those with a commitment of appointment at the time of application. The fellowship will support the development of a research project at selected Harvard University schools, departments, or laboratories in the field of their choice.

About Harvard University Center for African Studies

The Harvard University Center for African Studies (CAS) serves as an intellectual hub, connecting students, faculty, and members of the wider Africanist community. Since its inception in 1969, the Center for African Studies has evolved from a small faculty group known as the Committee on African Studies into a robust, interdisciplinary body that has earned Harvard recognition as a National Resource Center from the U.S. Department of Education. Along with this national distinction, the most notable milestone on Harvard’s path to African Studies leadership was the generous and anonymous do... read more

Harvard University Center for African Studies Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program

Aim and Benefits of Harvard University Center for African Studies Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program

• Fellows will be provided with a budget of up to $10,000 for research during the 18-month fellowship. Stipend during residency and travel to and from Cambridge for the residency portion will be covered separately. A budget stipulating detailed expenses during the fellowship period should accompany your application.

Requirements for Harvard University Center for African Studies Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program Qualification

The Harvard University Center for African Studies Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program is established for African based researchers who intend to continue/return to work in African academia. Fellows will be selected based on academic talent in their fields and will have an opportunity to work on their pedagogical and research skills to further their professional development. Fellows will have completed their respective doctoral programs at institutions from anywhere around the world (preference will be given to those who completed PhD in past five years). PhD holders who currently hold a paid academic appointment, which will be active through the duration of the fellowship period, with any of the following institutions are eligible to apply.

• Applicants must have received a PhD or equivalent doctoral-level research degree (preference will be given to those who completed PhD in past five years) in any discipline with strategic interest to the African continent and must hold a paid academic appointment at one of the eligible institutions.
• Applicants who have not yet formally received their degree must present evidence of having completed the academic requirements before commencing the Fellowship.
• Applicants must identify a Harvard faculty mentor to support research and scholarly work; additionally, they should identify a second mentor at their home institution.
• Both mentors are required to submit letters of recommendation during the application process.
• Applicants should have English language proficiency.
• Applicants must have support from their home institutions to pursue an 18-month fellowship appointment, six months of which will be spent in a stipend-supported residency in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Throughout the fellowship period, fellows will have access to their mentor at both institutions as well as Harvard’s library resources and seminar/conference opportunities.
• Applicants should have an academic appointment at one of the listed eligible universities or include a letter from the institution that such an appointment is forthcoming during the fellowship period.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Harvard University Center for African Studies Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program

Selection Criteria: A Center for African Studies Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program faculty review committee under direction of the CAS Oppenheimer Faculty Director will use the following criteria to identify final award recipients:

• Fellows with strong PhD achievement and actively conducting research and teaching in one of the listed institutions.
• Strength and quality of research proposal, project uniqueness, clear purpose, and detailed plan for execution of proposal.
• Applicants ability to succeed in a research-based academic track.
• Demonstration of initiative, social consciousness, leadership, and a sense of responsibility as well as personal motivations and experiences.
• Contribute to and advance new knowledge to the field of study.
• Mentors’ recommendation and commitment to fellows’ advancement in the area of research.

Eligible Universities: Egypt | Cairo University Ethiopia | University of Addis Ababa Ghana | University of Ghana Kenya | University of Nairobi Nigeria | Ahmadu Bello University Nigeria | University of Ibadan Rwanda | University of Rwanda Senegal | Cheikh Anta Diop University Sierra Leone | University of Sierra Leone South Africa | University of the Witwatersrand South Africa | University of Johannesburg Tanzania | University of Dar es Salaam Uganda | Makerere University

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details,visit Harvard University website