All applicants must be former APN fellows who have completed their program-supported projects within the past five years (2019-2023). Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

No. The APN Research Policy Fellowship (RPF) competition only welcomes proposals from individual applicants with an interest in an African peacebuilding policy or practice-related issue.

No. However, applicants must have completed their program-supported projects within the past five years (2019-2023).

No. Academic applicants must hold faculty positions at universities in Africa. Practitioner and policy analyst applicants must be based at an institution or organization in Africa.

No. You are not eligible to apply as part of a team.

No. Only former APN Individual Research Fellows are eligible for the APN RPF.

Yes. However, you must supply the APN with a letter of employment from your employer in Africa at the time of application as proof of your stationing. Please note that you must also be resident in Africa at the time of the award.

No. APN Policy Research Fellowships support only APN-specific policy-related research, including fieldwork and related networking activities.

APN Research Policy Fellowships are 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 an issue related to African peacebuilding policy and practice.

The fellowship provides support for research, analysis, and advocacy in relation to the policy dimensions of the following issues:

• Early Warning and Response Systems
• Conflict Prevention, Conflict Management, and Mediation
• AU Agenda 2063
• Silencing the Guns 2030
• Disarmament, Demobilization, Repatriation, Reintegration and Resettlement (DDRRR)
• Continental and Regional Peace and Security Organs and Mechanisms
• Peace Support Operations
• Responsibility to Protect (R2P)
• Countering Violent Extremism and terrorism
• Illicit Financial flows
• Unconstitutional Changes of Government and Electoral Management
• Maritime Security
• Women, Peace, and Security
• Youth for Peace
• Peace Funding

Applications must be completed by emailing apn@ssrc.org. Your submission must include the items listed below. We recommend that you fully review the guidelines, eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and application and award timelines before proceeding with your application.

Interested applicants must send a one-page letter of interest in the Research Policy Fellowship award to apn@ssrc.org by November 30, 2023. Application materials must be submitted in English.

If you have any questions, please contact APN staff at apn@ssrc.org.

To apply, the APN requires that a one-page letter of interest be submitted by email to apn@ssrc.org.

Yes, all letters of interest must be written in English.

All letters of interest are due by 11:59 pm (EST) on November 30, 2023.

No.

If you are a shortlisted applicant, you will be contacted by December 15, 2023, to submit a fully developed application to the program.

Requirements for full applications for shortlisted applicants:

• A cover letter clearly indicating the title of the project, year and type of APN fellowship received, title of the project being proposed, and relevance to peacebuilding policies and practices in Africa;
• Policy Research Proposal (7 pages);
• Expected publications;
• Outline of Proposed Research Timeline and Budget (1 page);
• Two reference letters

All applications by shortlisted candidates are due by 11:59 pm (EST) on January 29, 2024.

No.

The nominee and waitlisted candidates will be informed about their status no later than May 2024.

APN Research Policy Fellowship applications are reviewed by a selection committee drawn from the APN Advisory Board. Fellowships are awarded based on established peer-review procedures and standards. The APN Advisory Board is made up of internationally distinguished scholars, policymakers, and practitioners.

Only one APN Research Policy Fellowship may be offered in a given year.

Once a nominee has been notified, 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 certified photocopy of the applicant’s highest university degree;
3. A signed statement by the fellow declaring that all fellowship research and policy engagements 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 copy of the biodata page of the applicant’s passport.

Once the program receives and approves these documents, an award letter will be sent confirming the 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 will be taken into consideration in determining the final fellowship award amount.

You will also be asked to confirm your availability to hold a policy or practice-related in-house seminar/event in your host institution.

Fellows are expected to commence their research projects no later than June 2024 and finish by December 2024. The program will organize the placement in consultation with the awardee and host institution.

APN Research Policy Fellowship awards vary depending on the research activities supported and the proposed budget but will not exceed $12,000.

Funding enables Fellows to focus on policy-related research, networking, and engagements. Funding is also intended to cover books, journal subscriptions, research, travel, editorial support, residency, and related costs for the duration of the fellowship.

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.

No. While APN research fellowships cover visa costs, 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.

Research outputs/products may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Policy briefs
• Articles/essays
• Blogs and feature/op-ed articles
• Podcasts

APN Research Policy Fellowships are paid directly to the fellow 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. In addition to the Interim and Final progress reports, fellows are expected to submit a draft publication to the program shortly before the end of the fellowship period in December 2024.

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 June 2024.