▷Education level: Doctorate ▷Submission Deadline: 23.00hrs East Africa time (EAT) on 15th October 2021.

OVERVIEW

►AfricaLics – the African Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation and Competence Building Systems – is looking for suitable PhD student candidates from universities in Africa to participate in the AfricaLics PhD Visiting Fellowship Programme (2022 cohort) which focuses on Innovation and Development. ►In this programme winners will have the opportunity to participate in a fellowship programme which combine online pre- and post-activities with a study period of four (4) months at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) located in Kenya. There will be mentoring to be provided by different African and international scholars in Innovation and Development studies who are active in research in AfricaLics and Globelics. This programme will be also be supported by the Trilateral Research Chair in Transformative Innovation, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Sustainable Development (TRCTI). More details can be found here . ►For details on the main thematic areas which are addressed by AfricaLics, you can learn more here. ►Scholars in the field may have a background in economics and/or other social sciences (e.g. Political Science, Sociology, Geography, Science and Technology Policy, History or Development Studies), but some scholars also work within the STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) subjects as well as in manufacturing. They work within a wide range of areas comprising energy and sustainable development/transformation, health, agriculture, gender, manufacturing and work organization, big data and the fourth industrial revolution. ►For understanding more about the field of innovation and development and know if your work falls within this research area, you can look at papers published in relevant journals including but not limited to the African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development; Innovation and Development; Research Policy; Journal of International Development; International Journal of Technology Learning, Innovation and Development; International Journal of Technology Management and Sustainable Development; Journal of Development Economics; Journal of Science and Technology Policy; Journal of Evolutionary Economics and Journal of Technological Forecasting and Social Change. Please, read more ! General aim and organization of the fellowship programme ►The aim of the visiting fellowship programme and the scholarships is to help African PhD students who are working in the field of Innovation and Development in order to strengthen their academic/research qualifications; to improve quality of their dissertations and to prepare for a career in innovation and development either within academia or outside (e.g. in the private sector or in government/policy making). ►The visiting fellowship programme does this by increasing the mobility and level of exposure of the PhD students to international knowledge in the field of innovation and development. This programme forms a part of the efforts by AfricaLics for contributing to the development of a vibrant research community in African countries in this emerging and highly multidisciplinary field. There is a funding for visiting scholarships which is provided by the Swedish Development Agency, Sida (Stockholm) as part of the project Enhancing research capacity on Innovation and Development in Africa through the African Network on Learning, Innovation and Competence Building Systems (AfricaLics) – Phase II (2017-2022). ►The AfricaLics secretariat (hosted by the African Centre for Technology Studies) is responsible for the project with the AfricaLics Scientific Board providing advice on scientific matters and issues of strategic importance. The AfricaLics PhD Visiting Fellowship Programme 2022 is organised jointly by the AfricaLics secretariat and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology in Kenya with support from the AfricaLics and Globelics scholars based at various universities; the UJ-TRCTI and other relevant African and international universities active in the field of Innovation and Development. Mentors for the programme will be selected for ensuring the best possible match with the winning PhD visiting fellows.

Study Duration

►The visiting scholarship provides successful PhD students with the opportunity to study at JOOUST (Nairobi campus) in Kenya for a maximum of 4 months. The study stay is scheduled to take place from 1^st June 2022 to 30^th September 2022, but the exact timing will depend on the development of the COVID-19 pandemic. If all goes well, students should arrive on 1st June 2022 to be able to settle and participate in introductory activities as well as in the AfricaLics PhD Academy 2022 scheduled to take place in Nairobi from 12th June to 25th June 2022. ►The visiting scholarship will provide students with time off from duties in their home country to focus on consolidating and improving their research, analyzing data collected from fieldwork and writing up articles or chapters for their PhD thesis. Students will also do presentations of their project work and benefit from interaction with other visiting fellows and PhD students working on innovation and development issues scholars at JOOUST/the Trilateral Chair and the pool of mentors from the AfricaLics and Globelics network dedicated to work with the AfricaLics Visiting Fellowship Programme. ▶During this fellowship Programme, the PhD study plan for each applicant typically will include elements listed below:

❶Initial theoretical studies/taught courses and fieldwork in home country/country where the student is already enrolled as a PhD student (first year must have been concluded by December 2021).

❷Maximum of four months study visit to JOOUST to focus on writing up thesis or articles that are part of the PhD thesis.

❸Participation in AfricaLics VFP seminars organized as part of the study visit (introduction seminar, paper presentation seminars, other courses and a final seminar).

❹Participation in relevant PhD training activities like the 2022 AfricaLics PhD Academy, collective courses organized by AfricaLics under the programme and one or two carefully selected PhD training courses (online or face-to-face). PhD candidates are responsible for applying to such courses and academies themselves following agreement with their home-supervisors, mentors and the AfricaLics PhD VFP academic coordinator).

❺AfricaLics PhD visiting fellows are encouraged to work on and submit papers to up-coming relevant conferences such as e.g. the AfricaLics Conference 2022 and the 18^th Globelics conference 2023. Participation in such activities provides exposure to the wider Globelics/AfricaLics community. It is the responsibility of the PhD candidates themselves to apply for participation in such events.

❻Return to home country and continue work on PhD dissertation in order to finalize and submit.

►The visiting fellowship period includes both online activities before and after the 4 months of study visit to JOOUST, but we also encourage students to remain engaged with the AfricaLics network after the fellowship period ends as AfricaLics alumni. Former participants in the AfricaLics VFP are listed on the AfricaLics website (Read more, please!). AfricaLics VFP alumni meet occasionally online or in connection with key events and plans for the establishment of a more formalized AfricaLics PhD alumni network are tabled for 2022. Please, continue reading!

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION FORM

Eligibility

▶Be enrolled as a PhD student at a university in Africa.

▶Have completed their first year of studies by December 2021

▶Have a background (BSc, MSc etc.) within Economics, Sociology, Political Science, Science and Technology Policy, Geography, History or Development Studies. Applicants may also work within the STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) subjects or even manufacturing but from a social science perspective.

▶Possess adequate skills in English (documentation may be requested).

▶Be working actively on a subject relevant to the field of innovation and development as defined above.

▶Submit a brief application 1 page/500 words explaining own background, motivation for applying and expected outcomes of participation in the AfricaLics PhD visiting fellowship programme

Required Documents

▶Brief outline of your current PhD project including training plan (max. 5 pages)

▶Curriculum Vitae – CV (including PhD courses attended so far)

▶Letter of support from the main PhD supervisor confirming that the PhD student will have completed her/his upgrade/probation by end December 2021

▶Letter of support from the University Administration at the university where the PhD student is enrolled

▶Copies of academic certificates (copies of Bachelor and Master Certificates as a minimum)

▶One writing sample (article or chapter) from current PhD program

►You are NOT expected to submit a copy of your passport when submitting your application. If you are offered the scholarship, you will be asked to handle any visa issues that may be relevant yourself. Collection of personal data will be kept at a minimum, stored safely and will not be used for any other purposes. ▷Please use the application form when you submit your application. You can download the form through this link

▶Applications with all relevant attachments should be forwarded to visitingphd@africalics.org by 23.00hrs East Africa time (EAT) on 15^th October 2021.

▶Applications not fulfilling the requirements above will not be considered, so please forward any questions you may have to visitingphd@africalics.org and you will be assisted.

▶Successful candidates will be notified by end of November 2021, following which they will be required to confirm their interest (sign study agreement form) and deal with any issues related to visa issues and access to Kenya.

Further Information and Submission of Application

►For further information about the AfricaLics PhD Visiting Fellowship Programme 2022 and for submission of application, please read the full call on the website of the AfricaLics.

►You can also download the Application Form and the PhD visiting fellowship programme handout .

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