Applications are now open for the Fully Funded ARUA Early-Career Research Fellowship program

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Closing Date: 22 January 2026

Applications are now open for the Fully Funded ARUA Early-Career Research Fellowship program

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), with support from the Mastercard Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, is launching this Early-Career Research Fellowship program. The initiative will fund up to forty-two (42) early-career researchers to conduct globally competitive research at the host and affiliated institutions of ARUA’s thirteen (13) Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and the twenty-two (22) Africa-Europe Clusters of Excellence (CoREs).

Each fellowship will have a duration of six months, to be undertaken between March 2026 and February 2027. There will be only two commencement dates for the awards: March 2026 and September 2026. Candidates may select their preferred fellowship period as option 1, which runs from March to August 2026. The deadline for application for option 1 is 22nd January 2026.

The fellowship period for option 2 is September 2026 to February 2027. The deadline for application for option 2 is 15^th July 2026.

About the Fellowship

The ARUA Early-Career Research Fellowship program aims to enhance the capacity of early-career researchers at African universities by providing them with time away from teaching duties at their home institutions to collaborate with highly experienced and distinguished researchers at ARUA CoEs or the Africa-Europe CoREs. Each CoE or CoRE is expected to host research fellows from countries other than its own.

About ARUA

The African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) is a network of leading universities from different African countries with different historical backgrounds but with a common vision. This vision is to make African researchers and institutions globally competitive while contributing significantly to the generation of knowledge for the socio-economic transformation of the continent. The network, right from inception, was intended to be different from any other regional university network in Africa.

The difference was to come largely from the approach to be employed, namely bringing together a number of peer African institutions that were willing to work together by pooling their limited resources to generate a critical mass that could more effectively support their limited but growing numbers of researchers. Underlying the approach was the conviction that they could leverage their resources effectively for additional resources from outside. ARUA is currently pursuing this vision through its CoEs and CoREs that vary across various science and non-science disciplines.

About the Mastercard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization separate from the company, with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and leadership.

About the Carnegie Corporation of New York

The Carnegie Corporation of New York is one of the United States of America’s oldest grant-making foundations, established by Andrew Carnegie to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. In keeping with this mandate, the Corporation’s work focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered of paramount importance: international peace, the advancement of education and knowledge, and the strength of democracy. The Corporation supports four key program areas, including education, democracy, international peace and security, and higher education and research in Africa.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Research Fellow

The key roles and responsibilities of the research fellow are as follows:

Work with other researchers to undertake various relevant studies at the CoE or CoRE under the guidance of an assigned mentor.
Write and publish a minimum of one (1) academic paper[1] (a jointly authored paper where the fellow is the first/lead author can be acceptable) in a high-impact journal (at least, indexed in Scopus or Web of Science), with an accompanying policy brief or blog post on the appropriate platforms of the respective host institution.
Deliver at least two (2) presentations and participate in technical workshops with fellow researchers and other stakeholders.
Assist in creating and bolstering new partnerships between the respective CoE or CoRE and other relevant bodies.
Assist in disseminating research findings of the CoE or CoRE.

Selection Criteria

Applicants must be African nationals who have a PhD in a discipline/sub-discipline related to the thematic area of the Centre of Excellence or Cluster of Research Excellence.
Applicants must be within 5 years of completing their PhD
Applicants should be young faculty (or research) members at an ARUA university. Eligible candidates from non-ARUA Universities can apply.
Female postdoctoral fellows will be considered in limited cases.
The applicant should not be more than 35 years old at the time of applying.
Applicants should have a highly competitive track record relevant to the opportunity and be willing to develop a strong international standing and research reputation.
Applicants must be available to spend 6 months away from their home university and be able to return to their home institution.
Applicant must be working on an ongoing project related to the CoE or CoRE and have readily available data to accomplish the main roles and responsibilities (see section 3)
Eligible women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Contract and Remuneration

Successful candidates will be contracted by ARUA for 6 months. The ARUA Early-Career Research Fellowship shall provide a monthly stipend of US$2,000, a modest payment for accommodation, and travel support (return ticket to host institution). Please note that there are no relocation expenses. Additional financial support is available for eligible women who may require adjustment assistance (e.g., for childcare). The host CoE will provide the research fellow with office space.