Call for Applications: for Early-Career Research Fellowship program, Application Deadline- 15th July 2026
The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), with support from the Mastercard Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, is launching this Early-Career Research Fellowship program. The initiative will fund up to forty-two (42) early-career researchers to conduct globally competitive research at the host and affiliated institutions of ARUA’s thirteen (13) Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and the twenty-two (22) Africa-Europe Clusters of Excellence (CoREs).
Each fellowship will have a duration of six months, to be undertaken between March 2026 and February 2027. There will be only two commencement dates for the awards: March 2026 and September 2026. Candidates may select their preferred fellowship period as option 1, which runs from March to August 2026. The deadline for application for option 1 is 22nd January 2026.
The fellowship period for option 2 is September 2026 to February 2027. The deadline for application for option 2 is 15th July 2026.
At least 70% of the fellowships are reserved for female candidates, and applicants must be no older than 35 years at the time of application.
The program aims to enhance the capacity of early-career researchers at African universities by providing them with time away from teaching duties at their home institutions to collaborate with highly experienced and distinguished researchers at ARUA CoEs or the Africa-Europe CoREs. Each CoE or CoRE is expected to host research fellows from countries other than its own.
To apply for this research fellowship, please submit the following documents:
- Cover letter outlining your reasons for applying for the position and details of how you will achieve the roles and responsibilities of the position (see section 3). This should include an overview of your experience in the relevant field and how you meet the eligibility criteria. The candidate must specify the particular ARUA CoE or Africa-Europe CoRE to which they are applying. If an applicant has previously spent time at the proposed CoE or CoRE (e.g., as a student, postdoc, etc.), the cover letter should include a motivation for how this visit will build on the pre-existing relationship. Applicants may also suggest potential supervisors whom they may have already contacted. Applicants should also outline if they require a visa to visit the host or an affiliated institution of the CoE or CoRE and, if so, what is required and the estimated processing time.
- Full CV, including applicant details (e.g., date of birth, passport number, country of origin, citizenship, etc.), particulars of doctoral degree, qualifications obtained, research output, a description of the applicant’s contribution in jointly authored publications, and details of two referees. In the case of shortlisted applicants, applicants will be required to ask the referees to submit a brief report assessing the applicant’s suitability for the fellowship. Referees should not be based at the proposed host CoE or CoRE.
- A Letter of Support from the applicant’s permanent/home institution, including an indication of suitability for the position and that the candidate will return to the home institution.
- Evidence of the Award of PhD.
- A Brief Concept Note (max. 1,500 words, including references) outlining your proposed research project/plan. Please note that the proposed research project/plan should be feasible within the fellowship period (6 months) and well aligned to the objectives of the host CoE and CoRE. Candidates who can demonstrate that they possess the necessary data or research materials to support their proposed research will have a significant advantage.
- Two (2) academic writing such as peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings, policy brief etc. This should not be a chapter from your doctoral thesis. In the case of a jointly authored piece, you should describe your contribution.
- The biodata page of a valid passport
For more details, refer here
