Application Deadline: May 17, 2021 at 11pm
As one of the world’s leading academic institutions, Harvard University is committed to supporting top-quality Postdoctoral Fellows who will contribute to the University’s mission of excellence in teaching and research, and who are interested in advancing new ideas and promoting enduring knowledge.
Harvard offers access to intellectual and cultural resources that are as unique as they are unrivaled.
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.
The program offers 18-month postdoctoral fellowships with 12 months spent at the scholars’ home institution and six months spent in stipend-supported residency at Harvard University.
Please consult the list of eligible institutions and eligibility requirements before applying.
ELIGIBLE UNIVERSITIES (2021-2022)
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
- 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.
SELECTION CRITERIA
A 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.
