The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) PAID Early-Career Research Fellowship Program 2025: Up to 42 Positions with a Monthly Stipend of US$2,000
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).
Each fellowship will last six months, between July 2025 and June 2026. A maximum of four fellows will be assigned to each CoE, with all positions filled by December 2025. 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.
About the Fellowship
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 Centres of Excellence (CoEs). Each CoE is expected to host research fellows from countries other than its own.
About ARUA
The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) is a network of leading universities from different African countries with different historical backgrounds but with a common vision. This vision is to make African researchers and institutions globally competitive while contributing significantly to the generation of knowledge for the socio-economic transformation of the continent.
The network, right from inception, was intended to be different from any other regional university network in Africa. The difference was to come largely from the approach to be employed, namely bringing together a number of peer African institutions that were willing to work together by pooling their limited resources to generate a critical mass that could more effectively support their limited but growing numbers of researchers.
Underlying the approach was the conviction that they could leverage their resources effectively for additional resources from outside. ARUA is currently pursuing this vision through its thirteen (13) CoEs that vary across various science and non-science disciplines.
About the Mastercard Foundation
The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work.
Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization separate from the company, with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and leadership.
About the Carnegie Corporation of New York
The Carnegie Corporation of New York is one of the United States of America’s oldest grant-making foundations, established by Andrew Carnegie to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding.
In keeping with this mandate, the Corporation’s work focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered of paramount importance: international peace, the advancement of education and knowledge, and the strength of democracy. The Corporation supports four key program areas, including education, democracy, international peace and security, and higher education and research in Africa.
Background
ARUA has established thirteen (13) Centres of Excellence (CoEs) across various disciplines to support its vision. These CoEs reflect the current priority areas of ARUA, and they are expected to significantly enhance research and graduate training. Currently, the CoEs are organized as follows:
- Energy,
- Unemployment and Skills Development,
- Non-Communicable Diseases,
- Inequality Research,
- Notion of Identity in Africa,
- Migration and Mobility,
- Sustainable Food Systems,
- Urbanization and Habitable Cities, (ix) Climate and Development,
- Good Governance,
- Post-Conflict Societies,
- Water, and Materials, Energy & Nanotechnology (MEN).
To support the activities of these centres, ARUA is announcing a residential Early Career Research Fellowship that is expected to last for 6 months. During this period, prospective research fellows are expected to stay at the host or affiliated university of the respective CoE and conduct research related to their existing projects. Successful candidates are also expected to explore new lines of research with the approval of the Centre’s Director.
Prospective candidates are encouraged to visit the ARUA website as well as those of the 13 CoEs to familiarize themselves with their ongoing research projects.
ARUA views this Early Career Research Fellowship as critical to consolidating the progress made by the CoEs, which aligns with the main visions of the network as well as the institutions supporting the fellowship. ARUA, therefore, seeks to use this opportunity to enhance the relevance of postgraduate training for early-career researchers.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Research Fellow
The key roles and responsibilities of the research fellow are as follows:
- Work with other researchers to undertake various relevant studies at the Centre under the guidance of an assigned mentor.
- Write and publish a minimum of one (1) academic paper[1] (a jointly authored paper where the fellow is the first/lead author can be acceptable) in a high-impact journal (at least, indexed in Scopus or Web of Science), with an accompanying policy brief or blog post on the appropriate platforms of the respective host institution.
- Deliver at least two (2) presentations and participate in technical workshops with fellow researchers and other stakeholders.
- Assist in creating and bolstering new partnerships between the respective Centre of Excellence and other relevant bodies.Assist in disseminating research findings of the Centre
Selection Criteria
- Applicants must be African nationals who have a PhD in a discipline/sub-discipline related to the thematic area of the Centre of Excellence.
- Applicants must be within 5 years of completing their PhD,Applicants should be young faculty (or research) members at an ARUA university. Female postdoctoral fellows will be considered in limited cases.
- The applicant should not be more than 35 years old at the time of applying.Applicants should have a highly competitive track record relevant to the opportunity and be willing to develop a strong international standing and research reputation.
- Applicants must be available to spend 6 months away from their home university and be able to return to their home institution.
- Applicant must be working on an ongoing project related to the CoE and have readily available data to accomplish the main roles and responsibilities (see section 3)
- Eligible women are strongly encouraged to apply. At least 70% of the fellowships will be awarded to female candidates.
Contract and Remuneration
Successful candidates will be contracted by ARUA for 6 months. The research fellowship shall provide a monthly stipend of US$2,000, modest payment for accommodation, and travel support (return ticket to host institution).
There are no relocation expenses. Additional financial support is available for eligible women who may require adjustment assistance (e.g., for childcare). The host CoE will provide the research fellow with office space.
