African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) Individual Research Fellowships 2027

Overview

The African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics Individual Research Fellowships aim to improve the quality and visibility of independent African peacebuilding research while making knowledge accessible to key policymakers, practitioners, and research centers. The program is administered by the Social Science Research Council. The fellowship spans nine months total, consisting of six months of field-based research followed by three months of analysis and writing. Recipients also take part in two mandatory workshops held in different regions of Africa.

Who can apply

Applicants must be African citizens currently residing in an African country. Academics applying for the program must hold a full-time faculty or research position at an African university or research organization and possess a PhD obtained no earlier than January 2016. Policy analysts and practitioners must be based in Africa at a regional, sub-regional, governmental, nongovernmental, media, or civil society organization. These applicants must hold at least a master's degree obtained before January 2021 and have a minimum of five years of proven research and work experience in peacebuilding-related activities on the continent.

What you get

The program awards up to nine individual fellowships with a maximum value of 12,000 United States dollars each. Fellows receive mentorship from senior scholars, participate in peer-to-peer learning, and build professional networks. Recipients contribute to outputs such as working papers, policy reviews, digital platforms, peer-reviewed journals, and other publications while advancing their careers as academics or practitioners.

Key dates

The application deadline is January 15, 2027. The fellowship activities run from July 2026 to March 2027, with mandatory workshops scheduled in July and January.