SSRC Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship for Sub-Saharan African Countries 2023

The Social Science Research Council offers fellowships to support the completion of doctoral degrees and to promote next generation social science research in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. The fellowships support dissertation research on peace, security, and development topics.

About Social Science Research Council (SSRC )

The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is an independent, international, nonprofit organization founded in 1923. It fosters innovative research, nurtures new generations of social scientists, deepens how inquiry is practiced within and across disciplines, and mobilizes necessary knowledge on important public issues. In 1923, visionary members of the American Economic Association, the American Sociological Association, the American Political Science Association, and the American Statistical Association came together to found the Social Science Research Council, a groundbreaking organizat...... read more

Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship

Aim and Benefits of Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship

The doctoral dissertation completion fellowship supports a one-year leave from teaching and administrative responsibilities through a stipend up to US$10,000 to permit the completion of a dissertation that advances research on peace, security, and development topics. This program also offers two workshops each year to help fellows further develop their chapters and complete the writing of their doctoral dissertations. Facilitators at the workshops help strengthen the capacity of fellows for scholarly writing, including academic publications.

Requirements for Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship Qualification

All applicants must:

• Be citizens of any sub-Saharan African country
• Be enrolled and working towards a PhD in an accredited university, or affiliated to an institution in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda
• Be in the final year of writing and have completed at least two doctoral dissertation chapters 

The program seeks to promote diversity and encourages women to apply.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted using the online application portal.

Strong proposals will offer clear and concise descriptions of the project and its significance. Proposals should display thorough knowledge of the relevant social science literature that applicants will engage and the methodologies relevant to the project. In addition, applicants must demonstrate that all proposed activities are feasible and can be completed in a timely manner. All proposals will be evaluated for these criteria by an independent, international committee of leading scholars from a range of social science and related disciplines. 

Fellows must be willing to attend one workshop sponsored by the SSRC each year that is intended to help fellows engage with mentors and peers as the develop their work.

We anticipate awarding up to 12 Next Gen Completion fellowships this year. For inquiries or technical questions pertaining to the online application portal, please contact SSRC staff from the Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Program: [email protected].

For more details, visit SSRC website.