RUFORUM Graduate Teaching Assistantships 2020 Doctoral Research Fellowships for African Researchers

The RUFORUM Secretariat announces the availability of 42 PhD research grants under the GTA programme to support their doctoral research over two years.

Application Deadline: 20th May 2020

Eligible Countries: African countries

To Be Taken At (University): RUFORUM Member Universities

About the Award: The research supported through these grants
should as much as possible have a participatory, action research approach, working closely with a range of stakeholders and thus contributing to the RUFORUM mission of linking universities more closely with rural communities and with research, extension, development and policy-making agencies. However, basic research may also be considered depending on the research area of the GTA Fellow.

Over the years, universities in Africa have sought opportunities to send their staff for post-graduate training abroad in a bid to strengthen research and training, at very high costs. The loss of faculty for 4 to 5 years has negatively affected universities.

In order to meet the growing demand for Doctoral level scientists in Africa, the Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) programme was initiated by RUFORUM (a consortium of 126 universities operating in 38 African countries) Vice Chancellors to improve the quality of higher education at African Universities by increasing the proportion of academic staff with PhD qualifications, contributing to locally relevant research and reducing the time away from the home institution. The initiative was officially launched by the African Union Commissioner for Human Resource, Science and Technology, H.E. Dr Martial De Paul Ikounga on 25th July 2014 in Maputo, Mozambique during the RUFORUM Fourth Biennial Conference.

The specific objectives of the GTA are to:

1. Improve the quality of higher education and increase the pool of PhD-level trained academic staff in African universities;
2. Provide opportunities for the doctoral research to contribute more directly to African Development
3. Strengthen inter- university collaboration in the field of higher education in Africa; and
4. Promote staff mobility among RUFORUM member universities, and across Africa.

Type: Research

Eligibility: Applicants must be registered at a PhD Programmes in one of the RUFORUM Network universities as Graduate Teaching Assistant and must have completed and passed their course work before the grant can
be awarded. If applicants have not yet completed their coursework by the deadline date then proof of successful completion of semester one must be included and two motivation letters from your lecturers and/or supervisor(s) must be given that indicate your progress on Semester 2 courses. All the PhD Programmes in the RUFORUM Network universities are Eligible. Female Graduate Teaching Assistantship candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

Selection Criteria: The external reviewers will mainly use the following criteria to judge/rank proposals.

• Overall project design, content and articulation/write-up
• Appropriateness/relevance and contribution to SENTINEL project challenge and relevance to the Project research (themes proposed above)
• The originality, innovativeness and contribution to science or development
• Research activities clearly defined
• Clear identification of pertinent research issues, achievable objectives
• Evidence of a good understanding of the literature, rationale for the particular
• Well-articulated methodological approach with evidence of good understanding of applicable methods
• Clearly articulated engagement process with key stakeholders throughout the research process, and pathway for dissemination of results to communities, academia and, where appropriate, to service agencies, partners and policy-makers
• Feasibility: Can the PhD student achieve this in the time available and is it of the expected standard for a PhD?

Number of Awards: 42

Value of Award: The grants will support only research and WILL NOT cover tuition fees or stipend for the students.

Duration/Timeline of Program:

Duration: Two years

Timeline: Administrative check / Compliance Review and feedback to applicants by 25th May 2020
iii. Review of Proposals completed by 15th June 2020
iv. Communication to Successful applicants by 19th June 2020.
v. RUFORUM Secretariat sends out Grant Award letters by 29th June 2020
vi. Grant advances disbursed by 9th July 2020

How to Apply: Apply for a scholarship via RUFORUM Information Management System (RIMS)

It is important to go through the application procedure and instructions on the Program Webpage (see Link below) before applying.

Visit the Program Webpage for Details