Future Africa Tuks Young Research Leader Programme (TYRLP) 2019 for Early Academics

The TYRLP is seeking candidates who are committed to developing science leadership at UP. The training itself requires the time commitment of a two day training session. Furthermore, fellows will be expected to develop their leadership skills and engage with other fellows and the ASLP team for peer support following the training.

Application Deadline: 25th September 2019

Eligible Countries: African countries

To Be Taken At (Country): TYRLP training at Future Africa Campus

About the Award: The TYRLP serves early career researchers in basic and applied sciences, engineering, social sciences, arts and the humanities.

The programme aims to grow early career academics at UP in the areas of thought leadership, team development, engagement and collaboration, with the intention of enabling them to solve the complex issues that face society.

A further aim is to form a community within the University of the like‐minded young researchers who possess qualities that will contribute to UP becoming a leading research intensive University, in line with the projected UP 2025 vision.

The leadership programme:

• Identifies early career academics who have demonstrated leadership potential and an interest in developing key leadership skills;
• Supports them to apply the acquired skills to projects that are relevant to the development of their academic careers and its impact;
• Creates a network of early career academic leaders at UP, spanning across disciplinary boundaries;
• Advances a curriculum for academic leadership development, which can be utilised by others.

Type: Training

Selection Criteria: To be selected, applicants need to display a compelling vision of their future involvement in the development of research projects, programmes, human capacity, specific policies or societal structures. The selection process will consider individual qualities but also focus on ensuring a diversity of culture, subject background (natural and social sciences, humanities) and gender among the fellows.

The following criteria are used as a guide for the nomination and selection of fellows:

• A research fellowship with two years’ experience or a faculty position at UP
• Outstanding scientific potential and outputs
• A desire to nurture a culture of research excellence
• Internationally influential, but South Africa and Africa focused
• A desire to work collaboratively on inter‐ and transdisciplinary problems
• An appetite for multiple stakeholder engagement and research communication
• Commitment to participate in all the activities of the fellowship

All applicants should provide a support letter from an academic referee (details are provided in the application form). Please ensure that the support letter is sent from an accredited institutional email address. The referee should be available for future communications and mentorship in case of selection of the applicant into the programme. The referee will be informed about the progress of the fellow and should be willing to support him/her if required. All applications will be reviewed and shortlisted by representatives of the University of Pretoria and ASLP management. The final selection of candidates will be made by the ASLP management team.

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award: The programme follows a highly interactive approach to training, including application of skills to a leadership project, peer support, and mentorship. Fellows will attend a two day intensive on‐site programme at UP. The process involves an approach that cycles between theory, application and reflection. Participants will be challenged to work collaboratively to design initiatives that advance a new paradigm for their science.

The training will cover elements of:

• Core elements of collective leadership
• Creative and systems thinking
• Development of effective networks
• Stakeholder engagement for change
• Maximising the efficiency and impact of collaborative efforts
• Advanced dialogue and communication skills
• Effective problem-solving and decision-making

Following the initial training, the ASLP team will engage with fellows for a year, sharing information on resources and stimulating further interaction.

Duration of Program: 15 & 16 October 2019

How to Apply: Click to apply 

Visit the Program Webpage for Details