SSRC Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship 2024

The Social Science Research Council offers fellowships to support the completion of doctoral degrees and to promote next generation social science research in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. The fellowships support dissertation research on peace, security, and development topics. 

• Table of Content
• About Social Science Research Council (SSRC )
• Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship
• Aim and Benefits of Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship
• Requirements for Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About Social Science Research Council (SSRC )

The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is an independent, international, nonprofit organization founded in 1923. It fosters innovative research, nurtures new generations of social scientists, deepens how inquiry is practiced within and across disciplines, and mobilizes necessary knowledge on important public issues. In 1923, visionary members of the American Economic Association, the American Sociological Association, the American Political Science Association, and the American Statistical Association came together to found the Social Science Research Council, a groundbreaking organizat... continue reading

Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship

Aim and Benefits of Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship

The doctoral dissertation research fellowship supports 6-12 months of dissertation research costs of up to US$15,000 on a topic related to peace, security, and development. This program also offers two workshops each year to help fellows to further develop and strengthen their research, engage key literature in their fields, embark on fieldwork-based research, and develop their capacity for scholarly writing, including academic publications.

Requirements for Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship Qualification

All applicants must:

• Be citizens of any sub-Saharan African country
• Be enrolled and working towards a PhD in an accredited university, or affiliated to an institution in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda
• Have a fully developed doctoral dissertation research proposal approved by a graduate school/program at an accredited university in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania or Uganda.

The program seeks to promote diversity and encourages women to apply.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted using the online application portal.

Strong proposals will offer clear and concise descriptions of the project and its significance. Proposals should display thorough knowledge of the relevant social science literature that applicants will engage in and the methodologies relevant to the project. In addition, applicants must demonstrate that all proposed activities are feasible and can be completed in a timely manner. All proposals will be evaluated for these criteria by an independent, international committee of leading scholars from a range of social science and related disciplines. 

Fellows must be willing to attend two workshops sponsored by the SSRC each year that are intended to help early-career faculty engage in scholarly reflections, research, and writing. We will award up to 36 fellowships in total across all categories each year.

For more details, visit SSRC website.