Deadline: May 21, 2023.

The Africa Fellows in Education Program (AFE) aims to address this local capacity gap and improve education decision-making across Sub-Saharan Africa. AFE will support a network of local policy fellows with enhanced skills in evaluating existing educational research, developing and using performance data to make better decisions, and introducing rigorous evidence into the decision-making process.  Having a network of highly competent researchers across a region both reinforces the value of using systematic evidence in decision-making and supports broad improvement in policies. Local expert researchers will also form a constituency for expanding and improving the assessment structures in each country. The Fellows will be able to identify and produce high-quality research utilized in educational decision-making.  They will also become active in outreach to policymakers and civil society actors and advocate for sound, analytically based local policies.

In sum, the objective of the AFE is to build a group of Africa-based leaders capable of developing evidence and shaping educational policies that are relevant to their countries.  They would be part of a global network of such people and, if successful, could also help build out local networks of strong advocates for the improvement of schools.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible for this call, applicants must: 

• Be a national of a Sub-Saharan African country; 
• Have an MA or Ph.D.  degree, preferably in Economics, education policy, social/public policy, development studies or international development, with a strong focus on education. While a Ph.D. is not mandatory, GEAI encourages fresh Ph.D. graduates who can benefit from mentorship and additional training to become solid researchers; 

• Be proficient in quantitative data analysis, with a strong knowledge of data analysis software such as R and Stata
• Not be older than 35 years old
• Demonstrate interest in education policy research and analysis
• Have an affiliation at a research or higher education institution in a Sub-Saharan African country, and intend to do so for the foreseeable future
• Qualified females are strongly encouraged to apply. 

BENEFITS

Funding includes a $35K research (cash) grant. Other expenses, with a value of up to $25K, for mentorship, study visits, conference travel, and in-country workshops to share research findings and training will be covered directly by the Program.

APPLICATION

The Africa Fellows application process is managed by GEAI, in collaboration with PEP. The applications will be assessed based on a number of factors, including prior preparation and quality of essay (see below). The expression of interest by the applicants should include:  

1. A two-page statement of interest
2. A two-page essay. In this essay, the applicant must think and write about a specific education problem in their home country and how such a problem could be scientifically evaluated using quantitative methods. The essay must be prepared in English
3. A detailed and updated CV with at least two (2) referees whom the selection committee can contact.  

OFFICIAL LINK