The APDD Program invites applications for the Research Policy Fellowship (RPF) to support African scholars who have been recipients of an Individual Research Fellowship within the past five (5) years. The RPF embeds a fellow in a policy institution to gain insights into its daily operations and support its in-house activities and events. The award provides the fellow with the opportunity to link their prior research to policy practice, mobilize knowledge to inform or shape policy reforms, and/or propose actionable alternatives. Residency at the host institution for at least four (4) of the six (6) fellowship months is required, offering up to $12,000 to recipients to take leave from their teaching and administrative roles for the period. Funding is intended to cover housing, travel, administrative, and meal costs for the duration of the fellowship.
Program Components
Through the Research Policy Fellowship, recipients can expect the following:
Shaping Policy and Practice
- Fellows will be placed by the program in an African regional or national institution, policy think tank, or civil society advocacy organization operating in the fields of peacebuilding, security, and development in Central, East, Southern, and West Africa for the duration of the fellowship.
- Fellows will be fully embedded in the host institution during the period of the fellowship.
- Fellows will gain first-hand knowledge and experience of the activities and operations of policy/practitioner organizations, particularly in relation to the processes and mechanisms for formulating, developing, and implementing policies or actions linked to peacebuilding, security, and development at the national, inter-state, and regional levels.
Bridging Research and Policy
- Fellows will bridge the gap between research and policymaking. They will work directly with practitioners and other stakeholders, build their capacities in policy design, engagement, networking, and advocacy.
- Fellows will research a policy issue based on an approved work plan, including engagement in policy discussions, networking, and advocacy, with a view to gaining first-hand practical knowledge of operations, decision-making, and implementation. It will also be an opportunity for exposure to the practical aspects of African peacebuilding, and applying their research experience towards evaluating existing policies and identifying areas of priority.
- Fellows will engage and build relationships and rapport with policymakers and decision makers, and share the results of their research findings with policy and practitioner communities.
African Scholarship and Knowledge Production
- Fellows will produce at least one (1) African Peacebuilding Policy Review and Analysis Paper and one (1) peer-reviewed article in a reputable policy-related journal on their research findings and analysis of issues linked to a policy framework, mechanism, or action.
- The applicant will share perspectives from their APN IRF-supported research during their affiliation at the host institution and contribute to in-house discussions and strategies for policy engagement and practices in the field of peacebuilding. Research and analysis would be focused on existing policies or potential policy options for addressing emerging questions and challenges in a rapidly changing conflict, peacebuilding, and security terrain. These will include engaging with continental, regional, and national frameworks and mechanisms on peacebuilding with the broad goal of critically examining existing interventions and practices and generating innovative strategies, options and reforms aimed at strengthening them.
Eligibility
- To be considered eligible, applicants must be former Individual Research Fellows of the past five years (2021-2025) and are interested in policy-related research.
- All applicants must be African citizens who are residents of an African country.
- This competition is open to African academics, as well as policy analysts and practitioners.
Become a Fellow
To apply and obtain more information regarding the Research Policy Fellowship, please refer to the 2026 RPF Application Guidebook. If you encounter any difficulties accessing the guidebook or online portal, please contact the program staff at apn@ssrc.org.