AI4D Scholarship: Enhancing Doctoral and Early Career Research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for Women in Sub-Saharan Africa
Background:
The African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), with funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), is proud to announce a scholarship opportunity aimed at supporting women researchers in sub-Saharan Africa. This initiative is focused on advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) research and training at the doctoral and early career academic levels.
The scholarship will support PhD students and early career academics whose research addresses the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The program is designed to ensure that the beneficiaries of this scholarship are well-distributed across Francophone, Anglophone, and Lusophone countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and includes a balanced regional representation.
Program Focus:
This scholarship focuses on responsible AI research, ensuring that the studies adhere to ethical principles and contribute to the global goal of addressing key challenges in society. The research work must include a carefully designed problem definition, engaging with user communities to address real-world issues.
The data collection involved must follow a systematic and rigorous approach, ensuring that high-quality data is gathered, which will be used to develop AI solutions with predictive, diagnostic, or generative precision. The success of these solutions will be determined by their usability, based on the data collected in collaboration with user communities. Additionally, the data generated will be accessible to the grant manager and shared publicly, following the IDRC Open Access Policy, to support future research activities.
The scholarship also encourages active efforts to deploy AI solutions beyond the scope of the studies, ensuring that the results have a practical and lasting impact.
Eligible Countries:
The scholarship is available to candidates from the following sub-Saharan African countries:
- Angola
- Benin
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eswatini (Formerly Known as Swaziland)
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- South Sudan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Key Features of the Scholarship:
- Support for Doctoral and Early Career Academics in AI and ML.
- Focus on AI applications that address SDGs, ensuring relevance to real-world development challenges.
- Emphasis on data collection with user communities, ensuring that research findings lead to practical, deployable AI solutions.
- Fair distribution of scholarships across different African language groups and regions.
- All data collected during the research will be made publicly accessible following Open Access principles.
Application Process:
Interested candidates are invited to apply by submitting their proposals in accordance with the guidelines provided. The application period for this scholarship is open, and interested applicants should download the Call for Application and Flyer from the provided links.
Download
Deadline: 14 March 2025
This scholarship provides a significant opportunity to enhance the participation of women researchers in AI and ML, empowering them to address critical societal issues and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
For further details and to apply, please refer to the official Call for Application page. Don’t miss this chance to be part of a transformative project that is set to make a positive impact in the field of AI in Africa!
