Call for Applications: Fully Funded Africa Fellows in Education Program 2026/27 ($25,000 research grant awarded to each fellow)

Ednah Carrick May 6, 2026

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Closing Date: 30 June 2026

Call for Applications: Fully Funded Africa Fellows in Education Program 2026/27 ($25,000 research grant awarded to each fellow)

Calling young researchers across, Sub-Saharan Africa!

Apply now for the Africa Fellows in Education Program (AFEP) 2026/2027: a fully-funded, two-year fellowship designed to build the next generation of education policy leaders.

AFEP offers two-year, fully supported research fellowships for young African researchers to build expertise in education policy and evidence-based decision-making. The fellowships is for researchers from Sub-Saharan Africa who are committed to improving education to apply for the Africa Fellows in Education Program (AFEP), a two-year research and policy development fellowship.

About AFEP

AFEP supports a network of local policy Fellows with enhanced skills in evaluating educational research, developing and using performance data to make better decisions, and introducing rigorous evidence into the decision-making process. This research and policy development fellowship introduces the Fellows to relevant research and analytical experiences as well as international networks of researchers and policy advisers.

The proposed program is organised around a combination of in-country activities and network/training opportunities regionally and abroad. Fellows will have the opportunity to attend two of the most prominent international conferences on the economics of education. They will participate in a series of short courses designed to be most suitable to their needs – covering topics such as evaluation methods, communications, incentive structures – and a series of lectures on testing and performance measurement.

While in their home countries, the Fellows will develop a research/evaluation project to be carried out under program supervision and with local scientific mentors. During and after the fellowship period, a team of advisors from Stanford University and other African and international organisations will provide direct support and supervision.

Details on the structure of the AFEP

The proposed program is organized around a combination of in-country activities and network/training opportunities regionally and abroad. Under the two out-of-country segments, it is expected that the successful fellows will have the opportunity to attend two of the most prominent international conferences on the economics of education – the CESifo Economics of Education conference and the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) conference. (The exact conference and travel schedule is subject to change based on the prevailing circumstances.)

In addition to these conferences, the fellows will participate in a series of short courses designed to be most suitable to their needs, covering topics such as evaluation methods, communications, incentive structures, and other related areas while also allowing fellows to foster international connections. Further, they will have a series of lectures on testing and performance measurement. This introduction will enable fellows to understand the use of large-scale testing data from various international and regional assessments. It will also sensitize them to general issues around the use of standardized testing. The first two weeks of training will be between September and November 2025, and the other two will be held in March 2026.

Call for Applications

The Global Education Analytics Institute (GEAI), in collaboration with PEP, invites young African researchers who are motivated to improve education and could benefit from additional support to submit an expression of interest in AFEP.

Funding

Each fellow receives a $25,000 research grant, plus up to $25,000 in covered expenses for mentorship, conference travel, and in-country workshops.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

Be nationals of a Sub-Saharan African country,
Be 35 or younger,
Hold a Master’s or PhD in a relevant field with strong quantitative focus,
Demonstrate experience with quantitative data analysis,
Demonstrate interest in education policy research and analysis,
Be affiliated with a government, research, or higher education institution,
Be proficient in English.

Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply

Submit a two-page statement of interest, a two-page essay on an educational problem in your country, and a detailed and up-to-date CV via the PEP intranet system.

Download the Call for Applications document for a full description of AFEP, the Terms of Reference, and instructions for application submission through the PEP intranet system.