SSRC Research Policy Fellowship Offers Up to $12,000 for African Peacebuilding Scholars and Policy Researchers

African researchers, academics, policy analysts and practitioners working on peacebuilding can learn from the Social Science Research Council Research Policy Fellowship, a programme designed to connect academic research with real-world policy institutions across Africa.

Under the African Peacebuilding Network structure described in the supplied source, the fellowship offered eligible former APN Individual Research Fellows an opportunity to spend up to:

6 months

affiliated with an African:

Policy think tank
Research institution
Advocacy organization
Policy or practitioner institution

Successful fellows could receive up to:

US$12,000

to support costs associated with the fellowship.

However, applicants should note that the specific competition described in the supplied source had a deadline of:

January 31, 2025

and is no longer open.

SSRC has since published newer Research Policy Fellowship information under its evolving African peacebuilding programming, but the subsequent application cycle has also closed. Current applicants should therefore monitor SSRC for the next funding round rather than attempting to apply using expired application materials.

SSRC Research Policy Fellowship Overview

Detail	Information
Organization	Social Science Research Council
Programme	Research Policy Fellowship
Supplied Programme Structure	African Peacebuilding Network
Fellowship Focus	Peacebuilding, security and development
Maximum Award	Up to US$12,000
Duration	Up to 6 months
Geographic Focus	Africa
Host Type	Think tanks, policy institutions, advocacy organizations
Main Purpose	Connect research with policy and practice
Target Applicants	Eligible former APN Individual Research Fellows
Applicant Residence	African country required under supplied call
Fellowship Outputs	Policy Review Analysis Paper and peer-reviewed article
Supplied Call Deadline	January 31, 2025
Current Status of Supplied Call	Closed

What Is the SSRC Research Policy Fellowship?

The Research Policy Fellowship was designed to help African researchers move beyond purely academic research and gain practical experience inside organizations involved in:

Peacebuilding
Security
Development
Policy formulation
Advocacy
Policy implementation

The programme particularly targeted researchers who had already participated in the APN Individual Research Fellowship.

Rather than beginning an entirely unrelated research project, fellows were expected to build on their previous research and explore its relevance to policy.

How Much Funding Was Available?

The fellowship offered up to:

US$12,000 per recipient.

The funding was intended to support costs including:

Housing
Travel
Administrative expenses
Meals

during the fellowship period.

The exact award could depend on the approved research and fellowship budget.

How Long Did the Fellowship Last?

Fellows could undertake the programme for up to:

six months.

During this period, fellows were expected to become meaningfully embedded within an African policy or practitioner institution.

Why This Fellowship Matters

Opportunities Feed Analysis

One of the strongest features of this fellowship is that it was not designed simply to fund another academic research paper.

Its structure attempted to address a long-standing challenge:

the gap between academic research and policymaking.

Researchers may produce valuable evidence about conflict, peace and development, but their findings do not automatically influence:

Governments
Regional organizations
Civil society
Policy institutions
Development programmes

The fellowship created a structured opportunity for researchers to work directly with organizations involved in policy and practice.

Where Could Fellows Be Placed?

Fellows could be placed in African:

Regional institutions
National institutions
Policy think tanks
Civil society advocacy organizations

Host institutions could operate across:

Central Africa
East Africa
Southern Africa
West Africa

The specific placement depended on the fellowship and research focus.

What Did Fellows Do at Host Institutions?

Fellows were expected to become fully embedded within their host institution.

This could allow them to learn first-hand how policy organizations:

Formulate policies
Develop programmes
Implement interventions
Engage stakeholders
Respond to security challenges
Influence decision-makers

Bridging Research and Policy

A central objective of the programme was to strengthen links between:

research and policymaking.

Fellows could work directly with practitioners and stakeholders while strengthening skills in:

Policy design
Policy engagement
Networking
Advocacy
Applied research communication

Researching Policy Questions

Fellows were expected to conduct research around an approved policy issue and work plan.

Activities could include:

Policy discussions
Stakeholder engagement
Networking
Advocacy
Research
Policy analysis

The goal was to provide practical exposure to how decisions are made and implemented.

Applying Previous Research to Policy

Opportunities Feed Analysis

The fellowship was particularly valuable because it encouraged participants to translate earlier research into something that policymakers could use.

A researcher studying conflict dynamics, for example, might use the placement to analyze whether an existing policy framework is addressing those dynamics effectively.

That is different from simply producing another theoretical academic study.

Working With Policymakers

Fellows were encouraged to develop relationships with:

Policymakers
Decision-makers
Practitioners
Institutional stakeholders

They could then share research findings with people directly involved in peacebuilding and security policy.

Mandatory Workshops

The programme included mandatory workshops involving APN and Next Generation fellows.

Under the supplied programme structure, workshops took place in:

July
January

in different regions of Africa.

What Happened During the Workshops?

Workshops were intended to help fellows:

Refine research design
Improve research methods
Present findings
Develop publications
Make research more accessible
Build professional networks
Engage with senior academics
Work with practitioners

Research Outputs

Fellows were expected to produce at least:

one Policy Review Analysis Paper

and:

one peer-reviewed article

in a reputable policy-related journal.

These outputs were expected to draw on the fellow’s research findings and analysis.

What Kind of Research Was Expected?

Research could focus on existing or potential policies dealing with challenges related to:

Conflict
Peacebuilding
Security
Development

Fellows could analyze:

Continental frameworks
Regional mechanisms
National policies
Existing interventions
Peacebuilding practices

The objective was not only to criticize existing approaches but also to generate:

New strategies
Policy options
Reforms
Practical recommendations

Who Was Eligible?

The eligibility rules in the supplied call were highly specific.

Applicants needed to be:

former APN Individual Research Fellowship recipients from the preceding five years.

Under that competition, the listed eligible fellowship years were:

2020–2024.

Is This Fellowship Open to Any African Researcher?

No.

This is an important distinction.

Being an African researcher alone was not sufficient.

Applicants also needed to have previously received an eligible:

APN Individual Research Fellowship award.

That substantially narrowed the applicant pool.

Residency Requirement

Applicants were required to be:

currently residing in an African country.

The competition was intended for African:

Academics
Policy analysts
Practitioners

based on the continent.

Can Africans Working Outside Africa Apply?

Under the supplied competition rules, applicants needed to be residing in an African country.

More detailed SSRC guidance also emphasizes institutional connection and residency in Africa for the fellowship period.

Applicants should always consult the rules of the specific future cycle because eligibility criteria may change.

Which Professional Backgrounds Were Eligible?

The fellowship was open to:

Academics
Researchers
Policy analysts
Practitioners

working on relevant peacebuilding and policy questions.

Does Your Discipline Matter?

The broader SSRC Research Policy Fellowship guidance indicates that applicants may come from different disciplines, provided their proposed research demonstrates strong social-science grounding and focuses on a policy-specific African peacebuilding issue.

This can potentially include researchers from fields such as:

Political Science
International Relations
Sociology
Development Studies
Peace and Conflict Studies
Anthropology
Public Policy
Governance
Security Studies

The final eligibility determination rests with SSRC.

Diversity and Inclusion

The programme strongly encouraged applications from historically marginalized groups.

These included:

Women
Indigenous people
Gender-diverse applicants
LGBTQIA+ persons
Persons with disabilities
Other historically marginalized communities

Does the Fellowship Have an Age Limit?

Current SSRC RPF guidance states that there is no fixed age limit.

However, preference may be given to:

Early-career academics
Mid-career academics
Experienced practitioners
Policy analysts

who otherwise satisfy programme requirements.

What Costs Could the $12,000 Cover?

The supplied programme states that funding was intended to support:

Housing
Travel
Administrative expenses
Meals

during the fellowship.

Applicants should not assume that the full $12,000 would automatically be awarded.

The stated amount was:

up to $12,000.

Is $12,000 a Salary?

No.

The funding should not be presented as a salary.

It is a fellowship award supporting eligible programme and living-related expenses.

More recent SSRC Research Policy Fellowship guidance explicitly states that fellowship funding does not cover salary support.

Is the Fellowship Fully Funded?

It is safer not to label the fellowship universally “fully funded.”

The programme provides up to $12,000 for specified costs, but the source does not establish that every possible personal or research expense is covered.

Does It Cover Visas?

Applicants should not assume visa support.

Newer SSRC Research Policy Fellowship guidance states that fellows are responsible for obtaining their own:

Visas
Official documentation
Research clearances

and that the programme does not provide administrative support for those processes.

Does It Cover Insurance?

Current guidance indicates that fellowship awards do not cover social security or other insurance programmes.

Does It Cover University Overheads?

No under the newer fellowship guidance.

University overhead is among the costs excluded from the award.

Application Documents Under the Supplied Call

The supplied 2025 competition required applicants to prepare materials including:

Online application form
Research proposal
Bibliography
Current CV
Proposed research timeline
Proposed research budget
Two reference letters
Language evaluation where required

Letter of Interest

More detailed SSRC guidance for the 2025 competition shows that applicants first submitted a:

one-page letter of interest.

The letter needed to explain:

Project title
Duration
Relevance of the project
Connection to African peacebuilding policy and practice

Shortlisted applicants were then invited to complete the full fellowship application.

Application Process

The competition effectively involved multiple stages.

Stage 1 — Initial Interest

Applicants submitted the required initial application or letter of interest.

Stage 2 — Shortlisting

SSRC reviewed the initial submissions.

Only shortlisted candidates progressed to the full application stage.

Stage 3 — Full Application

Shortlisted candidates submitted more detailed materials including:

Research proposal
Bibliography
CV
Timeline
Budget
References

Stage 4 — Fellowship Selection

Successful applicants were nominated for the award.

Documents Required After Selection

More detailed SSRC guidance indicates that selected candidates could subsequently need documents such as:

Official institutional support letter
Copy of highest university degree
Signed fellowship declaration
Passport biodata page

These were used to finalize award processing.

How Was Fellowship Funding Paid?

SSRC guidance for the referenced competition states that Research Policy Fellowship awards were paid:

directly to fellows

in:

three installments

subject to required progress reporting.

Could Fellows Receive Other Funding?

Under the detailed programme guidance, a fellow could potentially receive external funding.

However, an awardee could not hold two SSRC fellowships or grants concurrently.

Candidates offered overlapping SSRC awards would need to choose one.

How Competitive Is the Fellowship?

Opportunities Feed Assessment

This is likely to be a selective opportunity because eligibility is already restricted to previous APN fellowship recipients.

Applicants must then demonstrate:

Policy relevance
Strong research
A credible project
Potential for practical impact
Appropriate institutional fit

However, SSRC does not provide a universal acceptance rate in the supplied material.

No applicant count or success percentage should therefore be invented.

How to Strengthen a Future Application

Build Directly on Your Previous Research

Applicants should demonstrate a clear connection between their original fellowship research and their proposed policy project.

A completely unrelated topic would be weaker and may not satisfy programme rules.

Identify a Specific Policy Problem

Avoid overly broad proposals such as:

“Peace and security in Africa.”

A stronger proposal might focus on:

A particular peacebuilding mechanism
A national policy
Regional security framework
Conflict-prevention programme
Post-conflict governance challenge

Explain Why Policymakers Should Care

Opportunities Feed Strategy

A strong policy fellowship proposal should answer:

What decision could this research help improve?

Research becomes more useful when applicants clearly identify:

Who could use the evidence
What policy is affected
What problem requires reform
What practical knowledge is missing

Demonstrate Practical Impact

Show how the fellowship could contribute to:

Better policy
Stronger institutions
Improved peacebuilding practice
New policy options
More effective advocacy

Choose the Host Institution Carefully

The host should have a genuine connection to the research question.

A good host could provide:

Relevant policy access
Practitioner expertise
Stakeholder networks
Institutional knowledge

Plan for Publication

Since fellows are expected to produce substantial written outputs, applicants should plan early for:

Policy analysis
Academic publication
Knowledge dissemination

Common Application Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid:

Applying without previously holding an eligible APN fellowship
Using an unrelated research topic
Treating the $12,000 award as a salary
Calling the fellowship universally fully funded
Applying using expired 2025 deadlines
Ignoring Africa-based residency requirements
Submitting a purely academic project with no policy relevance
Choosing a host institution unrelated to the research
Providing an unrealistic budget
Ignoring required research outputs

Is the January 31, 2025 Call Still Open?

No.

The deadline stated in the supplied source was:

January 31, 2025.

That competition is closed.

Has There Been a Newer Research Policy Fellowship Cycle?

Yes.

SSRC subsequently published newer RPF application guidance requiring an initial application by November 5, 2025 and full shortlisted applications by December 19, 2025.

Selected projects were expected to begin by July 2026 and finish by December 2026. Those application deadlines have also passed.

What Should Interested Researchers Do Now?

Opportunities Feed Guidance

Researchers interested in this programme should monitor SSRC for the next Research Policy Fellowship application cycle.

Do not submit an application using:

2025 deadlines
Outdated application forms
Previous eligibility periods

because programme structures and criteria may change.

SSRC African Peacebuilding Funding More Broadly

SSRC continues to support African peacebuilding research through related fellowship structures.

Its African peacebuilding programme includes research funding intended to strengthen:

African scholarship
Policy engagement
Peacebuilding research
Practitioner networks

Recent SSRC material also lists research fellowships supporting African researchers, policy analysts and practitioners working on conflict and peacebuilding.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SSRC Research Policy Fellowship?

It is a fellowship designed to connect African peacebuilding research with policy and practitioner institutions.

How much funding is available?

Up to US$12,000 under the programme described.

How long is the fellowship?

Up to six months.

Is the $12,000 a salary?

No. It is fellowship funding intended to support approved programme costs.

What could the funding cover?

The supplied programme lists housing, travel, administrative and meal costs.

Who can apply?

Under the supplied competition, eligible former APN Individual Research Fellows from the preceding five years who met the other residency and professional requirements.

Can any African researcher apply?

No. The supplied RPF had a previous APN fellowship requirement.

Must applicants live in Africa?

Yes under the stated competition rules.

Can academics apply?

Yes.

Can policy analysts apply?

Yes.

Can practitioners apply?

Yes.

Is the fellowship for students?

It is primarily targeted toward researchers, academics, policy analysts and practitioners rather than being a general student scholarship.

Does it fund degree study?

No. Current RPF guidance states that it does not support enrollment in a degree-awarding programme.

Is there an age limit?

Current guidance states that there is no fixed age limit.

Are women encouraged to apply?

Yes.

What research topics are suitable?

Policy-specific issues connected to African peacebuilding, security and development.

Are fellows placed with policy organizations?

Yes. Institutional affiliation is central to the fellowship model.

Are publications required?

The programme expects at least a Policy Review Analysis Paper and a peer-reviewed policy-related article.

Does the fellowship pay university overhead?

Newer guidance says no.

Does SSRC arrange visas?

Newer guidance says fellows are responsible for their own visa and research-clearance processes.

What was the deadline in the supplied call?

January 31, 2025.

Can I still apply to that call?

No.

Opportunities Feed Verdict

The SSRC Research Policy Fellowship represents a valuable model for African researchers who want their work to influence actual peacebuilding and security policy.

The fellowship goes beyond conventional academic funding by placing researchers inside:

Think tanks
Policy institutions
Advocacy organizations
Practitioner organizations

for up to six months.

The financial award of up to US$12,000 can support important fellowship costs including housing, travel, meals and administration.

However, eligibility is highly specialized.

The supplied competition was not open to every African researcher. Candidates needed to be eligible former APN Individual Research Fellowship recipients and meet Africa-based residency requirements.

The strongest feature of the programme is its explicit focus on turning previous academic research into:

policy-relevant knowledge and practical engagement.

Fellows gain opportunities to work directly with practitioners, understand decision-making processes and translate their research into policy analysis and peer-reviewed publication.

Applicants should also pay close attention to the dates.

The competition described in the supplied source closed on January 31, 2025, and the subsequent RPF application cycle also closed before 2026.

Therefore, researchers interested in future SSRC Research Policy Fellowships should monitor official SSRC announcements for a new cycle rather than attempting to use expired application materials.

SEO Keywords

SSRC Research Policy Fellowship, SSRC fellowship Africa, African Peacebuilding Network fellowship, APN Research Policy Fellowship, SSRC grants for African researchers, $12000 research fellowship Africa, peacebuilding fellowship Africa, African research fellowships, policy research fellowship Africa, SSRC funding opportunities, peace and security research grants, African scholars fellowship, grants for African researchers, policy analysts fellowship Africa, peacebuilding research funding, SSRC APN fellowship, African academics funding, research grants Africa, peacebuilding grants 2026, development research fellowship, conflict research funding Africa, social science research grants Africa, think tank fellowship Africa, African policy fellowship, security research fellowship, research funding for policy analysts, SSRC African researchers, African peacebuilding funding, grants for academics in Africa, SSRC fellowship eligibility

APPLY NOW