Social Science Research Council (SSRC) African Peacebuilding Fellowships: Research Opportunities for African Scholars and Practitioners

Overview

The Social Science Research Council offers research and doctoral fellowship opportunities through its African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics programme. This initiative supports African scholars, researchers, practitioners, and doctoral students working on peacebuilding, development, and state-society relations across the continent. The programme aims to strengthen research capacity, encourage innovative approaches to peacebuilding, and connect academic research with policy development by providing opportunities for independent research, fieldwork, doctoral dissertation development, and practical experience within policy institutions.

Who can apply

The fellowships are designed for individuals at different stages of their academic and professional careers. The Individual Research Fellowship targets early- to mid-career scholars and practitioners undertaking independent research. The Research Policy Fellowship is restricted to former APN Individual Research Fellows who received their awards no earlier than June 2021. The three doctoral fellowships are intended specifically for African doctoral students enrolled at universities in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda.

What you get

The programme offers four main fellowship pathways comprising five specific awards. The Individual Research Fellowship provides support for up to nine months of field-based research and academic writing. The Research Policy Fellowship offers up to six months of research and affiliation with a policy institution or practitioner organization. For doctoral students, the Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship runs for six months to support proposal development, pre-fieldwork surveys, and literature reviews. The Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship provides support for twelve months for fieldwork, data collection, analysis, and dissertation writing. Finally, the Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship supports students for up to twelve months, with a possible extension, allowing recipients to take a one-year leave from other commitments to finalize their academic work.

How to apply

Applications are submitted through the Social Science Research Council online application portal. Interested candidates must identify the fellowship matching their academic or professional stage and visit the relevant fellowship page to review specific requirements and instructions. Inquiries can be sent to the programme team by email at apdd@ssrc.org.