The Africa Platform of the Ghent University Association (GAP) accepts proposals for visiting fellows. GAP, one of the six regional platforms at Ghent University, promotes and facilitates scholarly cooperation between the Ghent University Association and educational institutions in Africa. Every year, the Africa Platform welcomes five visiting research fellows. Awardees will spend at least two weeks at Ghent University or one of the linked University Colleges.
The Africa Platform fellowships are intended for postdoctoral researchers (junior or senior lecturers and professors) linked with an African higher education or research institution. A bilateral agreement or memorandum of understanding must be in existence between Ghent University and the African school.
Two clusters of countries will be taken into account. In 2023, only candidates affiliated with universities in Cluster 1 countries can apply.
- Cluster 1: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauretania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Western-Sahara;
- Cluster 2: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Benefits
The fellowships include a reward of € 1000 plus one return flight ticket for a minimum stay of two weeks, which is intended to cover (or contribute to) travel, housing, and living expenses.
This means that additional funding will need to be found in many cases – note that we will only consider additional research funding, not personal resources. The visiting scholars will receive an office and have access to resources (such as the library) as visiting scholars at Ghent University.
Requirements
- Open to African researchers
Procedures and selection standards
In the selection process, the following factors will be taken into account:
- The candidate’s profile, including CV and scientific accomplishments: 25%
- The study plan’s motivation, practicality, and academic quality: 25%
- Added value/sustainability (effect of the research stay on future departmental and institutional collaboration) – 50%
- New types of collaboration will get priority, referring to new initiatives with a new scope – priority will therefore be given to candidates who have not had a chance to visit UGent over the last 12 months.
- Interdisciplinary forms of research will get priority.
Timeline
- Application deadline: 1 October 2023
- Selection results: end of October 2023
- Mobility period: January – December 2024
Documents Required for Application
Personal information;
- A cover letter in which you indicate: the duration of your visit, the research group with which you will be linked, a reason for how your current and future research at your home university can benefit from a research stay at Ghent, and whether this visit involves a new type of partnership;
- A research strategy (research aims, techniques, and tools, a work plan for the anticipated visit, potential long-term collaboration plans, interdisciplinarity of the research, and so on);
- A budget;
- A list of your three most important publications;
- Your signature and the promotor’s signature from Ghent University. This means that you should have a Ghent University promotor even before you apply. If you do not currently have connections with Ghent University, the online research directory might assist you in your quest for a promoter. You must also submit a brief motivation statement written by the Ghent University promotor.
- A short CV (max 2 pages) and proof of your Ph.D. degree are in the annex to the application form.
Method of Application
Your application should be written in English or French, and it should include the following
- Personal information;
- A cover letter in which you indicate: the duration of your visit, the research group with which you will be linked, a reason for how your current and future research at your home university can benefit from a research stay at Ghent, and whether this visit involves a new type of partnership;
- A research strategy (research aims, techniques, and tools, a work plan for the anticipated visit, potential long-term collaboration plans, interdisciplinarity of the research, and so on);
- A budget;
- A list of your three most important publications;
- Your signature and the promotor’s signature from Ghent University. This means that you should have a Ghent University promotor even before you apply. If you do not currently have connections with Ghent University, the online research directory might assist you in your quest for a promoter. You must also submit a brief motivation statement written by the Ghent University promotor.
- A brief CV (maximum of two pages) and proof of your Ph.D. degree should be attached to the application.
The application should be emailed to Annelies.Verdoolaege@UGent.be in one PDF file before October 1, 2023. Incomplete or late entries will not be approved. Each person can only receive one grant.
For more information, visit the Ghent University website
Application Deadline: October 1, 2023
