A new program of African Climate Change Fellowships is being launched to offer experiential learning, education, research and training opportunities to African professionals, researchers and graduate students that will build their capabilities for advancing and applying knowledge for climate change adaptation in Africa. Participating Fellows will receive small grants to undertake Policy Fellowships, Doctoral Research Fellowships, Post-Doctoral Fellowships and Teaching Fellowships. The Fellowship grants will enable Fellows to visit other institutions for 2 to 12 months to learn what others are doing to manage climate risks and adapt to climate change, how they assess and prioritize climate risks, current practices for designing and implementing adaptation projects, and approaches for integrating adaptation with program planning and policy; to undertake research that supports adaptation decision making; and to develop and implement curricula for integrating climate change and climate change adaptation into graduate level education. 

Institutions can participate by hosting a Fellow (“host institutions”) and/or having its members apply for Fellowships (“home institutions”). The program is intended to benefit and create stronger linkages between the host and home institutions of participating Fellows. Host and home institutions may include, but are not limited to, government agencies, non-government organizations, community-based organizations, private sector organizations, scientific research organizations and educational institutions. Home institutions must be located in Africa, while host institutions may be located in or outside of Africa, with preference given first to African institutions and secondly to institutions outside of Africa that demonstrate a commitment to enabling Fellows to pursue careers in Africa.

The first step in implementing the program is an assessment of needs and opportunities for climate change fellowships. A survey of institutions is in process to identify organizations that are interested in participating as host or home institutions, their capacity needs that are relevant to climate change adaptation, and the types of Fellowship activities that would benefit them. All interested organizations are invited to respond to the survey (please visit http://survey.pass-africa.org to access the survey).  

A workshop will be hosted by AAS from 8th-10th January 2008 in Nairobi at the Nairobi Safari Club to identify priority capacity needs to advance climate change adaptation policy, planning and implementation; the types of Fellowship opportunities that would help to build the needed capacity; institutions with the capabilities and interests to host Fellows; and institutions to target for recruitment of applicants for Fellowships. Results of the survey will provide a key input to the workshop.

Description of the Fellowship Program

African Climate Change Fellowships will support African professionals, researchers and graduate students to undertake activities that will enhance their capacities for advancing and applying knowledge for climate change adaptation and that will also benefit their home and host institutions. The activities will be designed and proposed by Fellowship applicants in collaboration with their home institution and a prospective host institution. Two open calls for Fellowship applications are planned, the first in early 2008. Applicants will be asked to submit a description of a proposed project or activity with letters of support from home and host institutions. Applicants selected for Fellowship awards will receive a small grant to cover costs of travel, accommodation, subsistence and other costs needed to undertake their proposed project. Grant sizes will range from $8000 to $35,000 depending on the type and duration of a Fellowship and estimated reasonable costs. Four types of Fellowships will be offered:

Policy Fellowships will be awarded to approximately 20 early to mid-career candidates who are resident in Africa and are currently working in organizations that play a role in or can influence policies and decision-making in climate-sensitive sectors in Africa. Policy Fellows will receive an award that will enable them to visit a suitable institution to participate in activities that will prepare them to improve the management of climate risks, advance climate change adaptation, and shape and communicate climate change positions and policy.  Policy Fellowships typically will last 3 months or less.

Doctoral Research Fellowships will be awarded to approximately 20 students who are studying in a doctoral program and conducting research related to climate change risks and adaptation at an African university. Doctoral Fellows will receive an award that will enable them to visit a suitable institution for training in innovative methods, models or analytic tools; participate in supervised research; and/or access data, models, or tools that would raise their capabilities as a researcher and significantly improve the quality and value of their dissertation research. Doctoral Fellowships typically will last for 6 months or less.

Post-Doctoral Fellowships will be awarded to approximately 10 Africans with doctoral degrees in fields relevant to climate change and climate change adaptation. The aim of the Post-Doctoral Fellowships is to enable recipients to participate in research and teaching under the supervision of a more established mentor and to become more productive researchers and teachers in fields that will contribute to improved management of climate risks and climate change adaptation. Post-Doctoral Fellows will receive an award that will enable them to visit a suitable institution to work with an established, highly qualified researcher/teacher on a well-defined problem. Post-Doctoral Fellowships can last for up to 12 months.

Teaching Fellowships will be awarded to approximately 8 educators at African universities. The aim of the Teaching Fellowships is to enable recipients to develop and implement new Masters-level courses on climate change related topics or to integrate climate change topics into existing courses. Priority will be given to interdisciplinary courses and those that fit logically within and add value to existing Master’s programs. Teaching Fellows will be awarded a grant that will enable them to develop new courses by, for example, traveling to other teaching institutions; bringing other educators to the Fellow’s campus to collaborate on course curricula and/or be guest lecturers; training; purchasing teaching materials; purchasing release time from teaching duties; and supporting teaching assistants. Teaching Fellowships typically will last for 2 months or less.

Program Partners and Sponsors

The African Climate Change Fellowship Program is coordinated by the global change SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training (START; www.start.org), the Institute of Resource Assessment (IRA) at the University of Dar es Salaam (www.ira.udsm.ac.tz), and the African Academy of Sciences (AAS; www.aasciences.org). The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) provides financial support for the Fellowship program under its Climate Change Adaptation in Africa program (www.idrc.ca/en/ev-94424-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html).  

For Further Information contact:

Prof. Pius Yanda, Director of Pan-African START Secretariat (PASS) and Director of the Institute for Resource Assessment at the University of Dar es Salaam; E-mail: yanda@ira.udsm.ac.tz or

Prof Fred Owino, African Academy of Sciences; E-mail: forin@kenyaweb.com.