Mawazo PhD Fellowship Programme 2023 for African Women

Mawazo’s PhD Fellowship Programme is now open for applications! The PhD Fellowship Programme is a one-year, non-residential fellowship open to all African women pursuing PhDs in Africa. 

Application Deadline: 12th March 2023

Eligible Countries: Citizens from any African country

Field of Study: In 2023, the Mawazo Fellowship Programme will support up to forty (40) women pursuing their PhD studies at accredited universities across Africa. While all eligible PhD students are more than welcome to apply, they encourage applications from those working in the following thematic areas:

• Agriculture and Food Security
• Business, Trade, and the Economy
• Climate Change, Natural Resources, and the Environment
• Education and Pedagogy
• Energy and Engineering
• Gender, Rights, and Governance
• Information and Technology
• Life and Health Sciences
• Mathematical and Physical Sciences

About the Award: The PhD Scholars Programme is a one-year, non-residential fellowship where PhD Scholars receive a research grant worth up to $5000 to support their research, a travel grant worth up to $2000 for conference travel, and a training grant worth up to $500 for ongoing training. Scholars also benefit from professional and leadership skills trainings provided by Mawazo and our partners, research and editorial support, as well as mentorship and networking opportunities. This programme is designed to amplify our Scholars’ research and position them as the next generation of leading experts, thinkers, and innovators who are finding homegrown solutions to local development challenges

Type: PhD

Selection/Eligibility Criteria: In order to be eligible for the PhD Scholars Programme, applicant must:

• Be a woman (woman/women includes cisgender women and transgender women. They also welcome Assigned Female At Birth (AFAB) non-binary, AFAB gender non-conforming, other AFAB genderqueer individuals, who have historically been excluded from decision-making spaces).
• Be a citizen of an African country.
• Have good command of written and spoken English.
• Be enrolled for their PhD at an accredited university in an African country.
• Have completed their course work (if applicable) and passed their departmental or graduate school proposal defence (i.e., in the dissertation/thesis phase of their PhD).
• Demonstrate that their PhD research is related to African development and is relevant to a global, regional, national or subnational policy priority.
• Demonstrate that they have a “Big Idea” to transform Africa through their research ( By ”Big Idea” they mean an innovative research-based solution to help address Africa’s emerging societal challenges).
• Demonstrate potential for leadership both within and outside academia, and a strong passion to leverage their expertise for impact in society.
• Be available to fully participate in the programme in 2023-2024.

Selection: All applications will be reviewed by the Mawazo Institute staff and a panel of external expert reviewers. Successful applicants will demonstrate that they can do the following:

• Meet all eligibility requirements

• Identify a problem which has important implications for African development and is linked to a global, regional, national or sub-national policy priority

• Demonstrate that their research is academically rigorous and addresses a unique and important gap in the field

• Propose a research project which has clear objectives, is appropriately designed for the question being asked, and can be feasibly executed with the financial resources available and within a one- to two-year timeline.

• Write a summary of their project which is clear, concrete, and accessible to scholars outside their own field

The Mawazo Institute is committed to non-discrimination in the application review process.

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Scholarship: Mawazo Fellows will receive the following benefits:

• Participation in Mawazo’s in-house virtual training and professional development programme, offered through the Mawazo Learning Exchange (MLEx) e-learning platform
• Connections to expert and peer mentors through a structured mentorship programme, as well as exposure to leaders from academia, industry, government and other sectors
• Funding for research activities with access to grants worth up to US$2,500
• A stipend worth $500 for discretionary use
• Data bundles worth $150 to help access the MLEx platform
• Research and editorial support from the Mawazo team and their partners
• Visibility via Mawazo Voices, public policy and engagement, strategic communications, and strategic partnerships programme

Duration of Scholarship: One year

How to Apply: Applications will be considered complete when the following are provided:

• A completed online application form
• A current 2-page CV
• A letter confirming current enrollment in an accredited PhD programme
• A letter confirming that you have completed your course work (if applicable) and passed your departmental defense
• A recommendation letter from your PhD supervisor
• A recommendation letter from a second referee

Click here to apply

Visit Program Webpage for Details