Eligibility 

Who can apply for the RPF award?

I am a former APN IRF recipient, but from before 2021. Can I still apply?

  • No. Only APN IRF recipients from the past five (5) years (2021-2025) will be considered for the fellowship. 

I am an APN IRF recipient from between 2021 and 2025, can I apply to research a policy issue that is unrelated to my IRF-sponsored research?

  • No. APN RPF supports the advancement of APN IRF-sponsored projects (conducted by the applicant).  

What is the purpose of the RPF?

  • RPF enables scholars to seek affiliation with African regional and national policy think tanks, institutions, and advocacy organizations operating in the fields of peacebuilding, security, and development for up to 6 months, offering up to $12,000 to recipients to take leave from their teaching and administrative roles for the period.

Can I apply as part of a research group/team?

  • No. The Research Policy Fellowship is only eligible to proposals from individual applicants.

Is there an age limit?

  • No. However, applications will be considered based on professional experience. Preference will be given to early- to mid-career academics, as well as experienced practitioners and policy analysts. Please refer to the APDD Research Policy Fellowship Application Guidebook for more information on eligibility requirements.

I currently hold a faculty position at a university or research organization outside of Africa. Am I still eligible?

  • No. Applicants must be based at an institution or regional/national organization in Africa.

I have full-time employment in Africa, but I am temporarily stationed outside of the continent. Am I eligible to apply?

  • Yes. However, you must submit a letter of employment from your employer in Africa as proof of your stationing via the online application portal. In addition, please note that you are expected to be resident in an African country for the entire duration of the project. 

Will the program support outside scholarships or enrollment in a degree-awarding program at a university?

  • No. RPF only supports research selected for the award, including fieldwork and related networking activities.

What disciplines are eligible?

  • RPF is open to researchers from all disciplines and fields. However, successful proposals will demonstrate a solid grasp of social science literature, tools, and research methodologies, and be focused on a policy-specific issue related to African peacebuilding.

What themes or topics are more likely to be successful?

  • Proposals must build upon the applicant’s APN IRF-sponsored research with a policy-specific approach. All themes and topics outlined in the list of  thematic priorities for RPF in the APDD Research Policy Fellowship Application Guidebook are welcome. Original and innovative topics are more likely to be successful.

I have applied for an APN research fellowship in the past but was unsuccessful. Am I still eligible to apply?

  • Yes. If you have applied for the RPF award in the past and were NOT accepted, you may apply if you meet all eligibility requirements. Please use feedback from reviewers’ comments on your previous application(s) as a guide in preparing your current application/proposal.

I am a former APN or APDD Research Policy Fellowship award recipient. Am I still eligible to apply?

  • No. Please note that past RPF recipients are not eligible applicants for this fellowship.

Application Process

What is the application process?

  • To be considered for the fellowship, applicants must first submit an online application, including a one-page letter of interest which details the title, duration, and relevance of the proposed project to peacebuilding mechanisms, policies and practices in Africa, by November 5, 2025, 11:59 pm EST. 
  • After the review of the letters of interest, shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit required application materials, including the application form, research proposal and bibliography, CV, proposed project timeline, proposed budget and reference letters on the OpenWater portal by December 19, 2025, 11:59 pm EST. 
  • Please refer to the APDD Research Policy Fellowship Application Guidebook for more details. 

Application Components

Can photographs, charts, and graphs be included in the research proposal?

  • Yes, but these must fit within the five (5) and seven (7) pages allowed for the entire proposal, including bibliography and footnotes.

Do I need to submit my APN IRF project outputs?

  • No. However, applicants will be expected to clearly indicate how their proposed RPF research will build on their IRF-supported research. The selected fellow(s) will also be required to conduct additional research to update the findings of their previous IRF project.

What do I do if I have been shortlisted and invited to submit a full application?

  • The APDD program will provide instructions on how to submit the following materials through the Open Water portal, including:
  • Contact and Personal Information
  • Academic/Background Information 
  • Project Information
  • Document Upload, including:
    • Project Proposal (with a complete bibliography)
    • Degree Award
    • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
    • Proposed Project Timeline
    • Proposed Project Budget
  • Two Reference Letters
  • Language Evaluation(s) (if required)

Awarding of Fellowships

What do I do if my application is selected for a Research Policy Fellowship?

  • Once a nominee has been notified and has accepted the offer, the following documents are required to finalize award processing:
  1. An official letter from the applicant’s home institution or organization indicating the acceptance of the terms of the fellowship award and support for the applicant’s research project, which must be written on institutional stationery, signed and dated by the relevant head of administration;
  2. A scanned copy of the applicant’s highest university degree;
  3. A signed statement by the fellow declaring that all fellowship research will be completed within the time stipulated and that the funding will be used only for research activities proposed in the fellowship award application; and,
  4. A scanned copy of the biodata page of the applicant’s passport.

Once these documents have been received and approved by the program, an award letter will be sent confirming fellowship award status.

Please note that all selected applicants will be required to submit a detailed budget indicating the funds necessary to complete the proposed research, which is taken into consideration in determining the final fellowship award amount.

When can I begin my affiliation and project, if my proposal is selected for funding?

  • Fellows are expected to commence their projects no later than July 2026 and finish by December 2026. Applicants should note that the timeline for the project and affiliation is subject to change.

What does the Research Policy Fellowship NOT cover?

  • Fellowship awards do not cover university overhead, individual or institutional contributions, salary support, social security, or other insurance programs. They cannot be used for payment on loans, mortgages, other personal indebtedness, or the storage of personal or household effects. Other excluded expenses will be conveyed to fellows during the final budget proposal and review process.

Does the program offer administrative support for travel visas and research clearance?

  • No. Fellows are responsible for obtaining their own visas, official documentation, and research clearances. Fellows will be responsible for consulting an Institutional Review Board (IRB) on their own and having their proposed research approved before any involvement of human subjects may begin.

Do I have to pay my way to attend and participate in the workshops?

  • No. The APDD Program will make all necessary arrangements and cover your travel, accommodation, meals, and other expenses related to the workshop attendance. These need not be included in the project budgets. In special circumstances, fellows will be reimbursed for the full costs of independently arranged travel. In the event that the workshop is held virtually, fellows who require special accommodation with access to good internet facilities will be reimbursed for the full costs of such arrangements.

What kinds of outputs or products are expected from APN fellows at the conclusion of their projects?

  • Outputs and products may include, but are not limited to, books, at least one Policy Review Analysis Paper, and one 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. 

Do Research Policy Fellowships go directly to fellows or are they channeled through the recipient’s university or organization?

  • Research Policy Fellowships are paid directly to the fellows in three separate installments, pending submission and approval of required progress reports at the beginning, in the middle, and towards the end of the project.

I am currently applying for several research fellowships. If I am awarded a Research Policy Fellowship, can I also accept funding from other sources?

  • Yes. However, please note that no awardee may hold two concurrent SSRC fellowships/grants at the same time. Should you receive two different SSRC fellowships/grants simultaneously, you will be asked to forego one of your own choosing. Past or current beneficiaries of an SSRC fellowship may apply for an APN fellowship only if their current award will be completed by the time the next APN fellowship commences in July 2026.

I am eligible for more than one (1) fellowship. Am I allowed to simultaneously apply for two APDD fellowships within the same application cycle? 

  • No. Individuals may only apply to one type of fellowship award within the same application cycle. If the APDD program finds that an individual has applied to more than one, only the first application submitted will be considered.
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