German-West African Tandem Fellowships 2020 for African Researchers at the University of Ghana

The Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA) offers Two German- West African Tandem Fellowships (Junior/Senior) for 3-5 months each at the University of Ghana for the Calendar Year 2021

German-West African Tandem Fellowships

The present call is for tandem fellowships in the calendar year 2021: To promote cross-continental dialogue and exchange, MIASA is accepting applications for two tandem fellowships (3-5 months) at the University of Ghana. They will allow the researchers who are teaming up to pursue a joint academic project. This project can be of an opening, continuing, or closing nature. Two researchers – one from West Africa and one from Germany – will work in a collaborative manner on a particular research topic in the Humanities and Social Sciences, addressing in one way or another MIASA’s overarching aims. Their joint application must highlight the additional academic value of their cooperation. The application should also define the objectives and anticipated outcomes of their collaboration.

German-West African Tandem Fellowships Eligibility

Eligible for application are early career researchers (1-6 years after having been awarded their PhD) and senior researchers (more than 6 years after completion of their PhD) from around the globe in a relevant discipline of the Humanities or the Social Sciences. Therefore, applicants for a junior fellowship must have been awarded their PhD on 31 March 2020 or earlier; applicants who completed their PhD on 31 March 2014 or earlier can only apply for a senior fellowship. Relevant is the date on the official PhD certificate.

Selection: The all-important selection criteria are the academic excellence of the applicant and the fellowship proposal. Additionally, what will be taken into account are the required experience and capability to conduct the fellowship project and to contribute to the activities at MIASA and, more broadly, to the academic life at the University of Ghana.

A highly distinguished international selection committee, MIASA’s Academic Advisory Board, will be responsible for the selection of the fellows.

Value of Award

• The successful applicants will become MIASA Fellows for 3-5 months in 2021 with all the corresponding rights and obligations for the requested funding period. Key among the obligations is that MIASA fellows are required to spend the bulk of their fellowship in residence at MIASA at the University of Ghana.
• Fellowships will be awarded to researchers of top academic quality with an innovative and high quality research topic. The selection of fellows is undertaken by the distinguished international Academic Advisory Board of MIASA.
• The fellows’ salary costs will be met by MIASA for every full fellowship month on the principle of “no loss, no gain,” and paid directly to his/her home institution. Furthermore, fellows will receive a monthly allowance of 400 €. For fellows affiliated with an African institution at the commencement of the IFG, this monthly allowance will be 1.000 €.
• Non-affiliated senior fellows receive a monthly grant of 2.000 € in total. Non-affiliated junior fellows will receive a monthly grant of 1.200 €.
• For all fellows, MIASA will provide accommodation and reimburse travel costs. To promote the joint research, a shared research cost contribution of 500€/fellow month can be granted upon application to the directorate, e.g. for conducting field research or organizing a small academic event, like a workshop.
• The Institute provides its fellows with modern office space and an up-to-date infrastructure. Fellows have full access to all library services at the University of Ghana and, electronically, at the University of Freiburg, Germany. Note: A full-time presence of fellows at MIASA for the fellowship period is expected. Periods of leave need to be negotiated with the MIASA directors prior to the signing of the fellowship agreements, and must not exceed a total of four weeks.

Duration of Award: 3-5 months

How to Apply for German-West African Tandem Fellowships

Applications can be submitted both in English and in French. The completed application form together with the required documents has to be uploaded on the application webpage (https://frias.wufoo.com/forms/miasa-tandem-fellowships-2021/) and submitted by April 10, 2020; 24.00 h CET (extended application deadline).

Information on the application and selection process (required documents, eligibility criteria, evaluation criteria, timeline and stages of the selection process) is provided in the Application Guidelines for Tandem Fellowships.

For more information, visit the German-West African Tandem Fellowships.

Application Deadline: 10th April 2020 24 h CET