The American Council of Learned Societies is inviting applications for postdoctoral fellowships from scholars who are within eight years of receiving the PhD degree, who are citizens of Sub-Saharan African countries, and who are currently working at universities in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda. Women are especially encouraged to apply. The competition will extend for one year the fellowship program that began in 2008-09 and that had been scheduled to conclude in 2020-21. This is due to the sudden availability of funds following the cancelation of in-person activities during the Covid pandemic.

The 2021-22 African Humanities Program competition will be much like the previous one on so many levels. That is, the eligibility criteria will remain the same - awards will go to African scholars, living and working on the continent, pursuing basic research in the humanities, willing to take two semesters leave from all other employment to devote full energy to the project proposed. Applications will go through the ACLS online fellowship and grant (OFA) administration system as has been in the previous years. ACLS will also distribute monetary allowances.

All African scholars with an emphasis on women and staff at regional universities are encouraged to apply. Completed applications must be submitted through the ACLS Online Fellowship and Grant Administration (OFA) System (ahp.acls.org) no later than 9 pm GMT, December 3, 2021.

There is much optimism that the great momentum generated by The African Humanities Program will continue to build a vibrant humanities community on the continent through the African Humanities Association (AHA). Founded by AHP Fellows, assessors, and advisers, AHA has taken steady steps toward institutionalization through the efforts of the Interim Steering Committee. A constitution for AHA was presented at the AHP Regional Assembly in Abuja, in February 2020.

Fellowship allowances free recipients from teaching and other duties for a full academic year to concentrate on scholarly work. Written products should aim to make significant contributions to humanistic knowledge. Fellow are encouraged to take advantage of additional opportunities offered by AHP such as residential stays at African institutes for advanced study and Manuscript Development Workshops, so that finished products may be submitted to the African Humanities Series.

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Article by Ann Agongo

https://www.acls.org/Competitions-and-Deadlines/African-Humanities-Program