THE AFRICAN CLIMATE CHANGE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMA new program of African Climate Change Fellowships is being launched to offer experiential learning, education, research and training opportunities to African professionals, researchers and graduate students. Participating Fellows, their home institutions and their host institutions will gain capabilities and institutional linkages for advancing and applying knowledge for climate change adaptation in Africa. Fellowship opportunities are being offered for Policy Fellows, Doctoral Research Fellows, Post-Doctoral Fellows and Teaching Fellows. The program, briefly described on the following page, is coordinated by the global change SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training (START), the Institute of Resource Assessment (IRA) at the University of Dar es Salaam, and the African Academy of Sciences (AAS). The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) funds the Fellowship program under its Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program.We would Like Your Help and ParticipationWe invite institutions to complete the accompanying survey to help us assess needs and opportunities for climate change fellowships and to begin to identify institutions that are interested in participating. Institutions can participate by hosting a Fellow (“host institutions”) and/or having its members apply for Fellowships (“home institutions”). Host and home institutions may include, but are not limited to, government agencies, non-government organizations, community-based organizations, private sector organizations, scientific research organizations and educational institutions. Home institutions must be located in Africa, while host institutions may be located in or outside of Africa, with preference given first to African institutions and secondly to institutions outside of Africa that demonstrate a commitment to enabling Fellows to pursue careers in Africa.Survey responses received by December 20 will be used to guide discussions at a program planning workshop to be held 8-10 January in Nairobi. Early responders will be considered for invitation to the workshop. Responses will also be used to create an on-line searchable database to help match applicants, host institutions and home institutions. We thank you for your time and assistance Description of the FellowshipsThe Program will support African professionals and graduate students to undertake activities that will enhance their capacities for advancing and applying knowledge for climate change adaptation and that will also benefit their home and host institutions. The activities will be designed and proposed by Fellowship applicants in collaboration with their home institution and a prospective host institution. Two open calls for Fellowship applications are planned, the first in early 2008. Applicants will be asked to submit a description of a proposed project or activity with letters of support from home and host institutions. Applicants selected for Fellowship awards will receive a small grant to cover costs of travel, accommodation, subsistence and other costs needed to undertake their proposed project. Grant sizes will range from $8000 to $35,000 depending on the duration of a Fellowship and estimated reasonable costs. Four types of Fellowships will be offered:Policy Fellowships will be awarded to approximately 20 early to mid-career candidates who are resident in Africa and are currently working in organizations that play a role in or can influence policies and decision-making in climate-sensitive sectors in Africa. Policy Fellows will receive an award that will enable them to visit a suitable institution to participate in activities that will prepare them to improve the management of climate risks, advance climate change adaptation, and shape and communicate climate change positions and policy. Policy Fellowships typically will last 3 months or less. Doctoral Research Fellowships will be awarded to approximately 10 to students who are studying in a doctoral program and conducting research related to climate change risks and adaptation at an African university. Doctoral Fellows will receive an award that will enable them to visit a suitable institution for training in innovative methods, models or analytic tools; participate in supervised research; and/or access data, models, or tools that would raise their capabilities as a researcher and significantly improve the quality and value of their dissertation research. Doctoral Fellowships typically will last for 6 months. Post-Doctoral Fellowships will be awarded to approximately 10 Africans with doctoral degrees in fields relevant to climate change and climate change adaptation. The aim of the Post-Doctoral Fellowships is to enable recipients to participate in research and teaching under the supervision of a more established mentor and to become more productive researchers and teachers in fields that will contribute to improved management of climate risks and climate change adaptation. Post-Doctoral Fellows will receive an award that will enable them to visit a suitable institution to work with an established, highly qualified researcher/teacher on a well-defined problem. Post-Doctoral Fellowships can last for up to 12 months. Teaching Fellowships will be awarded to approximately 8 educators at African universities. The aim of the Teaching Fellowships is to enable recipients to develop and implement new Masters-level courses on climate change related topics or to integrate climate change topics into existing courses. Priority will be given to interdisciplinary courses and those that fit logically within and add value to existing Master’s programs. Teaching Fellows will be awarded a grant that will enable them to develop new courses by, for example, traveling to other teaching institutions; bringing other educators to the Fellow’s campus to collaborate on course curricula and/or be guest lecturers; training; purchasing teaching materials; purchasing release time from teaching duties; and supporting teaching assistants. Teaching Fellowships typically will last for 2 months Survey of Interested Institutions African Climate Change Fellowship ProgramSurvey responses received by December 20 will be used to guide discussions at a program planning workshop to be held 8-10 January in Nairobi. Early responders will be considered for invitation to the workshop. Responses will also be used to create an on-line searchable database to help match applicants, host institutions and home institutions. We thank you for your time and assistance Survey responses will be input to a public, on-line database. Prospective Fellowship applicants, home institutions and host institutions will be able to search the database to identify opportunities for mutually beneficial Fellowship projects and activities. Prospective applicants will be instructed to directly contact institutions in the database to explore opportunities that interest them and to seek the endorsement of a prospective host institution for their application to the African Climate Change Fellowship Program. Prospective host and home institutions may also use the database to identify institutions with common interests. |
for other inquires please contact Prof. Pius Yanda and Dr. Neil Leary