Deadline: December 10, 2021.

The African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) and Population Reference Bureau (PRB) and are now accepting applications for their 2021-2022 Policy Communication Fellows Program. The program is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). It is open to individuals from eligible developing countries currently enrolled in academic institutions pursuing doctoral programs and who are between their 3rd and 5th year of studies. Applicants may be in any field of study but their research focus must be related to one or more of the following:

• Family planning and/or reproductive health (FP/RH).
• Contraceptive use/behavior.
• Maternal and child health (MCH), specifically family planning/MCH integration.
• Population growth.
• Adolescent reproductive health.
• Poverty, health equity, and connections with reproductive health.
• Gender issues, specifically gender-based violence (GBV), early marriage, and male engagement in family planning.
• Population, health, and environment interrelations.

PROGRAM COMPONENT

The program has three components:

1. Online Coursework: Throughout the fellowship, participants will be required to attend short online lectures and complete associated assignments to supplement the in-person training. Fellows are expected to join one orientation webinar prior to the training workshop, as well as attend post-institute online lectures.
2. Online training workshop: Participants will attend a weeklong policy and communication workshop focused on the role of research in the policy process and on techniques for effective communication of research findings to decisionmakers. At the summer institute the participants will interact with PRB and AFIDEP staff and local experts active in policy research and communication. During the training, participants are asked to work with their own research data to identify the policy relevance of their findings; Fellows will learn how to draw implications of those findings and how to communicate them effectively to policy audiences through a variety of platforms.
3. Policy Communication Assignments: Between January and March 2022, Fellows will apply the skills learned at the workshop to prepare written assignments and an oral presentation for policy audiences, based on their dissertation research. Throughout the assignments, Fellows will receive individual feedback from policy communication experts on their work.

ELIGIBILITY

1. All participants must be citizens of developing countries that are supported by USAID population and health funding. You can view the list of eligible countries online.
2. In addition, participants must be currently enrolled in doctoral programs at reputable academic institutions, and between their 3rd and 5th year of studies.
3. PRB gives priority to applicants whose dissertation research is focused on the topic areas noted above and who are in an early stage of their career.
4. The program language of instruction is English, and applicants must demonstrate that they can effectively communicate their research in English through their application materials.

APPLICATION

Applicants must submit the following to PRB and AFIDEP:

• A cover letter stating why you wish to participate in this program.
• An application form. Application-Form-2021-22.pdf
• An updated resume with a full list of educational and other professional activities.
• A two- or three-page summary of the applicant’s dissertation research.
• Two letters of reference sent directly from the person writing the reference (via e-mail).
• Completed applications, letters of reference, or questions about the program should be sent via e-mail to: policyfellows2021@afidep.org.

OFFICIAL LINK