The Africa Initiative (AI) is a Joint program of CIGI and Makerere University (MAK) and was started to contribute to the deepening of Africa’s capacity and knowledge in five thematic areas—conflict resolution, energy, food security, health, migration and climate change. The program includes field-based research, strategic partnerships, and online collaboration and focuses on supporting innovative research and researchers.
Applications are currently being invited from interested candidates for Africa Initiative Graduate Research Grant Program. This program has been designed to support innovative, policy-relevant research on Africa conducted by graduate students enrolled in a Canadian or African university. The grant is offered to up to thirty recipients each year. Each recipient spends as many as three months in Africa or Canada conducting research funded by the program.
For Students Enrolled in a University in Africa
The Africa Initiative Graduate Research Grant program supports short-term academic placements for students enrolled in a Master’s or PhD program at African universities. The program offers grants of up to CAD$10,000 each to fifteen students per year to conduct research for up to three months at Canadian universities. As part of their application for the grant, applicants are expected to self-identify professors and experts they would like to work with at universities in Canada and are required to submit an official letter of support from the university where they wish to be based.
– Eligibility Criteria:
- must be a Master’s or PhD student enrolled in an African university
- must be in good academic standing (with at least an overall B standing, or equivalent)
- proposed research must be original and timely, and must focus on one or more of the thematic areas of conflict resolution, energy, food security, health, migration, and climate change.
– Program Requirements: Participants are expected to author three backgrounders for the Africa Portal during their placement and write one major research paper.
– Major Research Paper: Participants will produce one major research paper based on their research at the conclusion of their placement. Topic selection is the responsibility of the participant, with the expectation that the topic aligns with one or more of the Africa Initiative’s thematic areas and the topic offers a policy-relevant angle.
For Students Enrolled in a University in Canada
The Africa Initiative Graduate Research Grant program supports short-term academic placements for students enrolled in a Master’s and PhD program at a university in Canada. The program offers grants of up to CAD$10,000 each to fifteen students per year to conduct field-based research for up to three months in Africa.
– Eligibility Criteria:
- must be a Master’s or PhD student enrolled in a Canadian university
- must be in good academic standing (with at least an overall B, or equivalent, standing)
- proposed research must be original and timely and focus on one or more of the thematic areas of conflict resolution, energy, food security, health, migration, and climate change
– Note: The grant is available for research in the following countries: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia. Proposals will not be approved in regions with travel advisories by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) recommending to avoid non-essential or all travel. The grant may be withheld if a travel advisory arises after concession of the grant and before travel.
– Program Requirements: Participants are expected to author three backgrounders for the Africa Portal during their placement and write one major research paper.
– Major Research Paper: Participants will produce one major research paper based on their field-based research at the conclusion of their placement. Topic selection is the responsibility of the participant, with the expectation that the topic aligns with one of the Africa Initiative’s thematic areas and the topic offers a policy-relevant angle.
Last date for submitting the applications is January 15, 2012.
For more information, visit this link.
