Deadline: February 1, 2018
The West African Research Association is inviting applications for their 2018 Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. In the interest of enhancing transatlantic exchange and collaboration, the West African Research Association, with funding from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US State Department, holds an annual competition for Pre-doctoral fellowships.
The WARA Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, for 2 to 3 month’s research in West Africa during the summer of 2018, is for the purpose of preparing a doctoral research proposal or carrying out research related to the completion of another terminal degree program (e.g., MFA or MPH).
Awardees are required to secure IRB clearance from their institution or proof that their research is ruled exempt. Upon completion of their fellowships, grantees are required to submit a detailed report of their work and findings. This report will subsequently be published in the biannual WARA newsletter.
Cost
- Each fellowship will provide round trip travel to a West African country (not to exceed $2,500) and a stipend of up to $3,500. The West African Research Center (WARC) in Dakar, Senegal may assist with academic contacts and affiliations and recommendations for lodging in the country chosen by the fellow.
Eligibility
- The WARA Pre-Doctoral Fellowship is open to U.S. citizens who are currently enrolled in graduate programs at institutions of higher education in the United States to conduct research in West Africa during the summer of 2018;
- It is advisable that applicants be conversant in an African language spoken where they will be conducting research. Priority will be given to applicants who are at the pre-dissertation stage, that is, who will be returning to their institution to complete course work and exams, before beginning their fieldwork.
Application
- Before starting your application, please read the tips for an excellent proposal written by the WARA Fellowship Committee.
- Applications must be submitted online here.
- The online application requires the following documents:
- An abstract (50-80 words)
- Proposal (6 pages)
- Resume or CV
- Itemized budget (including estimated costs for housing, food, travel, equipment, printing/photocopying, and institutional affiliation fees)
- Graduate and undergraduate transcripts (Scan and upload official transcripts)
- A bibliography
- The proposal statement should describe the concept, methodology and the significance of the proposed research project to the applicant’s academic field, and how this research contributes to the mission of WARA. On the Art of Writing Proposals, an excellent resource for preparing applications can be found on the SSRC website. The language should be understandable to non-specialist readers. In addition, applicants must submit three letters of reference, signed by the referee. These must be uploaded by the referees here.
All application materials must be submitted online no later than February 1, 2018. Late & incomplete applications will not be considered. Please do not hesitate to contact [email protected] if you have questions.
For more information, visit WARA Fellowship.
