The Africa Institute announces its official call for applications to its program of four fellowships: two senior fellowships named in honor of the late Toni Morrison, the acclaimed literary icon, novelist, theorist, and late professor of African studies, Ali A. Mazrui, and two postdoctoral fellowships named in honor of late scholar and art critic Okwui Enwezor, and world-renowned Moroccan scholar Fatema Mernissi.  

The Africa Institute Research Fellowships Program provides the opportunity for both senior and junior scholars of African and African diaspora studies to focus on a research project and participate in ongoing scholarly and intellectual activities during their one-year residency at the Institute. 

The applications for all four fellowships are now open for the academic year 2024-2025. The Africa Institute’s faculty will review all applications. Recipients will be chosen based on the proposal’s quality, and the applicant’s demonstrated capacity to complete the project.

Benefits

The Institute Research Fellowships Program provides the opportunity for both junior and senior scholars of African and African diaspora studies to focus on a research project and participate in ongoing scholarly and intellectual activities during their term at the Institute. The residency also grants fellows the opportunity to interact with scholars and academics in their area of research.

Requirements

  • The application deadline is Tuesday, August 1, 2023, for all fellowships commencing in September 2024.
  • The applicant for the Post-doctoral Fellowships must hold a Ph.D. awarded within the last five years.
  • The Senior Fellowships are open to scholars who are at the associate professor or full professor levels, or their equivalents within or outside the academy.
  • Applications should include a CV and cover letter indicating the proposed research project, in addition to two published or unpublished writing samples.

Selection Process

Timeline:

  • The application deadline is Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
  • The Senior fellowships are a full-time one-year residency based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates starting from Fall September 2025 to Summer June 2026.
  • The Post-doctoral fellowships are a full-time two-year residency based in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates starting from Fall September 2025 to Summer June 2027.
  • Awarded fellows are scheduled to arrive in mid-August 2025 to organize and finalize residency and housing arrangements.

Method of Application

 The proposal must be submitted in English and emailed to: applications@theafricainstitute.org with the subject line indicating “Name of the respective Fellowship” you are applying to: 

  • Toni Morrison Senior Fellowship in African Diaspora Literature and Cultural Studies
  •  Ali A. Mazrui Senior Fellowship in Global African Studies
  • Okwui Enwezor Postdoctoral Fellowship in Visual Culture, Performance Studies, and Critical Humanities
  • Fatema Mernissi Postdoctoral Fellowship in Social and Cultural Studies

For More Information,

Visit the Official Webpage

Application Deadline: October 1, 2024.