The Social Science Research Council is inviting African researchers, policy analysts, and practitioners to apply for the 2027 cycle of its African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics Individual Research Fellowships. Now entering its second decade, the program backs field-based, evidence-driven scholarship that speaks directly to Africa’s most urgent conflicts and governance challenges.
About the APDD Individual Research Fellowship Program
Administered by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) through its African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) program, the Individual Research Fellowship has since 2012 served as one of the continent’s most respected vehicles for independent peacebuilding research. The 2027 cycle offers up to nine fellowships, each running nine months from July 2027 to March 2028. The program covers six months of field-based research followed by three months of analysis and writing.
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Funding Size
- Maximum award per Individual Research Fellowship: $12,000
- Up to 9 fellowships awarded for the 2027 cycle
- Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship: up to $3,000 for short-term research costs
- Funds cover field-based research costs for the nine-month fellowship period
Who Can Apply
Individual Research Fellowship:
- African citizens currently residing in an African country
- Academic applicants must hold a full-time faculty or research position at an African university or research institution, and hold a PhD obtained no earlier than January 2017; applicants who have not received their PhD by June 2027 will not be prioritized
- Policy analysts and practitioners must be based in Africa at a regional or sub-regional institution, government agency, or nongovernmental, media, or civil society organization, with a master’s degree obtained before January 2022 and at least five years of proven research and work experience in peacebuilding
Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship:
- PhD students at accredited universities in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda
- Must hold a master’s degree and have a fully developed doctoral dissertation research proposal approved by their graduate program
Geographic Eligibility
- Open to African citizens based in Africa
- Research must be conducted in Africa and relevant to peacebuilding, governance, and developmental dynamics on the continent
Sector or Thematic Focus
- Peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and violence prevention
- Governance, security, and developmental dynamics in Africa
- Evidence-based policy research for regional and global peacebuilding debates
- Inter-communal conflict, electoral violence, transitional justice, and post-conflict reconstruction
Application Process
All applications are submitted through the SSRC Online Application Portal. Before applying, candidates must review the APDD Fellowship Award Application Guidebook, available on the SSRC website, which contains detailed instructions for each fellowship track. All materials including references must be uploaded through the portal before the deadline; no late submissions are accepted.
Required Materials
- Online application form submitted through the SSRC portal
- Research proposal with research question, methodology, and relevance to peacebuilding
- Annotated bibliography
- Current curriculum vitae
- Proposed research timeline and budget
- Two reference letters
- Language evaluation documentation where required
Key Dates
- Application deadline: 15 January 2027
- Fellowship period: July 2027 to March 2028
- Field-based research phase: July to December 2027
- Analysis and writing phase: January to March 2028
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Selection Notes
- Academic applicants must demonstrate that their proposed research makes a clear and original contribution to peacebuilding scholarship
- Policy analysts and practitioners are assessed on their track record of applied peacebuilding work and the policy relevance of their proposed research