Australia Awards Post-Doctoral Fellowship for African Academics 2018

In 2018, the Australia Awards – Africa program will pilot Phase 2  of Post-Doctoral Fellowships in partnership with the Australia Africa Universities Network (AAUN). 

Application Deadline: 30th November 2017

Offered Annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: Phase 2 of the pilot will be open to Eligible Applicants affiliated to Ghanaian, Kenyan or South African Universities that are members of the AAUN.

To Be Taken At (Country): Australia, Ghana, Kenya or South Africa.

About the Award: During the pilot phase, the Post-Doctoral Fellowship provides financial support for African academics affiliated to eligible  Ghanaian, Kenyan and South African university and engaged in research activity.

The Pilot Post-Doctoral Fellowship program seeks to:

• develop on-going educational, research and professional linkages between individuals and universities that are members of the AAUN, in Australia and Ghana, Kenya or South Africa
• provide opportunities for high achieving academics to improve their research skills and contribute to development outcomes in Africa
• contribute to Australia’s position as a high-quality education and training provider and a leader in research and innovation
• contribute to the research capacity of Ghanaian, Kenyan and South African tertiary institutions, and
• contribute to public and economic diplomacy efforts.

Australia Awards – Africa is a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded initiative. It is designed to equip Africans with the skills and knowledge necessary to contribute to sustainable economic and social development outcomes in their own countries. In addition, Australia Awards – Africa builds long-term, sustainable links between targeted countries in Africa and Australia. The program provides a variety of Masters scholarships, postgraduate short courses and post-doctoral fellowships to Africans in the public, civil society and private sectors in targeted disciplines, that support the home countries’ developmental priorities.

Type: Postdoctoral, Fellowship

Eligibility: A candidate must meet the following criteria:

• Be a citizen of an eligible African country as outlined in the table in Annex 2 of the Post-Doctoral Fellowships Guidelines
• Must be studying in Ghana, Kenya or South Africa
• Must have the right to reside and work in Ghana, Kenya or South Africa
• Must be affiliated with their home institution in Ghana, Kenya or South Africa in an academic/research capacity
• Be at least 25 and not more than 50 years of age at the date of application
• Home and Host Institutions must be members of the Australia Africa Universities Network
• Not be a citizen of Australia, hold permanent residency in Australia or be applying for a visa to live in Australia permanently
• Must not be married, engaged to, or a de facto of a person who holds, or is eligible to hold, Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, at any time during the application, selection or mobilisation phases
• be able to satisfy all requirements of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to hold a Temporary Activity Visa (subclass 408). This may mean that DFAT will need to withdraw an Award offer if the Awardee cannot satisfy the visa requirements
• Have been conferred a PhD at the time of application
• Field of research must be aligned to Agricultural Productivity, Health and Science and Technology
• Must have a letter of support from their home institution that outlines their agreement to the Fellowship, Annex 4 of the Post-Doctoral Fellowships Guidelines
• Must have a letter of invitation from the Host Institution in Australia, outlining their commitment to the Fellowship, Annex 4 of the Post-Doctoral Fellowships Guidelines
• Must be able to commence their program in the academic year 2018

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award: The costs covered by the Post-Doctoral Fellowship are detailed in each Awardee’s contract. These include fees that are common for all Awardees and costs that may be applicable depending on individual fellowship conditions.

Duration of Program: Fellowships will be up to two years in total, comprised of research components in both Australia and Ghana, Kenya or South Africa but limited to 12 months in Australia.

How to Apply: Hard copy applications will not be accepted. Applications and supporting documentation must be scanned and submitted to postdoc@australiaawardsafrica.org.

It is necessary to go through the Steps and Application details on the Program Webpage before applying

Visit the Program Webpage for Details

Award Providers: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)