Introduction

Applications are invited for the inaugural round of African Climate Change Fellowships. The African Climate Change Fellowship Program (ACCFP) aims to support African professionals, researchers and graduate students to undertake activities that will enhance their capacities for advancing and applying knowledge for climate change adaptation in Africa. The program is jointly administered by the global change SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training (START), the Institute of Resource Assessment (IRA) of the University of Dar es Salaam and the African Academy of Sciences (AAS), with financial support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID).

This Call for Applications is extended to researchers, scientists, and academics working in fields related to climate change and climate change adaptation as well as professionals and practitioners with experience and responsibilities related to policy, planning or management of climate sensitive resources, sectors, systems or livelihoods.

Four types of Fellowship are offered to support projects, research, and other activities that advance adaptation in Africa. The Fellowships range in duration from 2-18 months, and award amounts range from USD $5,000 - $36,000, depending on Fellowship type. Eligibility is limited to citizens of African nations who are 40 years of age or younger.

Descriptions of Fellowship types and instructions for preparing and submitting an application to be an ACCFP Fellow are provided in the 2008 Call for Applications (available for download below). All application materials must be submitted no later than 17 September 2008.

Application Instructions

To apply to be an ACCFP Fellow, you will need to download the following documents:

• 2008 Call for Applications
• Application Form
• Institutional Support Form
• Professional Reference Form

All application materials are available in both English and French, and application materials may be prepared and submitted in either English or French. If you prefer French language application instructions and forms, please click here.

Please read the Call for Applications and its eligibility requirements carefully to decide if it applies to you. Follow the application instructions as outlined in the Call for Applications. Please note that application materials should be submitted by the appropriate person via email to the Pan-African START Secretariat (PASS) at pass@ira.udsm.ac.tz. Remember: All application materials must be received by PASS no later than 17 September 2008. Applications that are incomplete or received after the deadline will not be reviewed.

Fellowship Host Institutions

In their applications, prospective Fellows will identify and rank up to three (3) suitable Host Institutions at which they would like to execute the Fellowship projects and activities that they propose. To help facilitate this process, the ACCFP has identified a small number of Recommended Host Institutions that it believes to have the necessary capabilities and commitment to provide valuable Fellowship experiences in a variety of subject areas. In turn, these institutions have indicated a desire to host Fellows and provide appropriate supervision. Ideally, the Program would like to place multiple Fellows at each of these Recommended Host Institutions so as to provide opportunities for synergy and encourage the development of sustainable relationships between Fellows’ Home Institutions, Hosts, and the Program.

Eleven African institutions have been identified as Recommended Host Institutions for this first round of ACCFP Fellows (listed alphabetically):

• 1.Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR),
  Regional Offices for West and Central Africa, Burkina Faso and Cameroon
  Download CIFOR Host Proposal
• 2.Egerton University,
  Kenya
  Download Egerton University Host Proposal
• 3.Institute of Resource Assessment (IRA), University of Dar es Salaam,
  Tanzania
  Download IRA-UDSM Host Proposal
• 4.International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT),
  West and Central Africa Region,Mali and Niger
  Download ICRISAT Host Proposal
• 5.Makerere University,
  Uganda
  Download Makerere University Host Proposal
• 6.Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel (OSS),
  Tunisia
  Download OSS Host Proposal
• 7.University of Cadi Ayyad,
  Morocco
  Download University of Cadi Ayyad Host Proposal
• 8.University of Cape Town,
  South Africa
  Download University of Cape Town Host Proposal
• 9.University of Cheikh Anta Diop,
  Senegal
  Download University of Cheikh Anta Diop Host Proposal
• 10.University of Ghana,
  Ghana
  Download University of Ghana Host Proposal
• 11.University of Kwazulu Natal,
  South Africa
  Download University of Kwazulu Natal Host Proposal

ACCFP applicants are permitted to propose alternative institutions at which they would like to tenure their Fellowship experience. While priority will be given to those applications that propose a project to be executed at one of the recommended institutions, the Program is willing to consider applications that identify other institutions that they believe to be better suited to host, supervise, and mentor the proposed Fellowship activities. These institutions will be vetted using the same criteria used for the Host Institutions recommended above.

To learn more about each of the Recommended Host Institutions and the opportunities that they offer, applicants are encouraged to view the proposal from each institution that outlines its capabilities for and commitment to being a Recommended Host. Viewing these proposals may help applicants to identify Host Institutions that are best suited to their needs and to develop ideas for Fellowship projects. Institutional contact information is also provided if applicants wish to obtain additional information.

Please note that the ACCFP Executive Committee will approve final selection of all Host Institutions.

Contact Information

For additional information about the ACCFP and this Call for Applications, please contact Dr. Richard Kangalawe (kangalawe@ira.udsm.ac.tz) or Ms. Madaka Tumbo (madaka.tumbo@ira.udsm.ac.tz) of the Pan-African START Secretariat (located at IRA-University of Dar es Salaam) or Ms. Patriciah Jeconiah (p.jeconiah@aasciences.org) of the African Academy of Sciences.