2025 Chatham House/Mo Ibrahim Foundation Academy Fellowship for African Leaders

Published: 03 Mar 2025

The Chatham House Mo Ibrahim Foundation Academy Fellowship is a joint initiative between Chatham House and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. It offers candidates at the early-to-mid-stage of their career the opportunity to spend ten months at Chatham House working on an individual research project of their choosing. Fellows take part in the core work of the Institute, developing their skills through the leadership programme, and furthering their professional network in the field of international affairs.

Chatham House/Mo Ibrahim Foundation Academy Fellowship

Application Deadline	March 19, 2025
Type	Fellowship
Sponsor	Chatham House

Chatham House/Mo Ibrahim Foundation Academy Fellowship Benefits

The fellow will receive a monthly stipend of £2,365 which will cover London living costs, including accommodation, utilities, food, transport and other basic expenses.

The Academy covers reasonable costs related to:

• Relocation e.g., flights, train, other transportation to and from the UK, three nights of accommodation, visas, extra cases or boxes, etc.;
• Payment of the UK’s Immigration Healthcare Surcharge which allows access to the UK National Health Service (Note: you may be required to pay for dental and optical treatments and medicines prescribed by a doctor); and
• Research, outreach and dissemination costs e.g., fieldwork, travel, conferences, publication, roundtables, events, etc.

Following the successful completion of their fellowship alumni benefit from access to:

• The Academy faculty and alumni; and 
• Five-year Chatham House membership.

Requirements for Chatham House/Mo Ibrahim Foundation Academy Fellowship

• The fellowship is open to citizens of any African country.
• Applications will also be accepted from applicants holding dual nationality which includes any African country.
• Applicants must hold a completed BA degree or equivalent and have experience with conducting research.
• The ideal candidate should be at the early-to-mid-stage of their career and come from one of the following fields or work: academia, NGO, business, government departments, civil society or the media. All applicants should possess knowledge of, and an interest in, international affairs, their chosen area of research, and Chatham House’s mission and research.
• There are no age restrictions for applicants.

Selection Process

Duration: Academy Fellows will spend ten months at Chatham House between October 2025 and July 2026.

Location: The fellow will be based full-time at Chatham House, London with hybrid working also possible.

Selection criteria:

• Meet nationality criteria;
• Have experience conducting independent research and hold an undergraduate or postgraduate level qualification or have equivalent professional training or experience in a relevant area;
• Have the relevant background experience, including experience in the field of the proposed research, as demonstrated through a CV;
• Have proven leadership experience or potential;
• Show commitment to the Chatham House mission, goals and values and to identifying evidence-based solutions to some of the world’s most pressing international challenges;
• Be able to communicate how the fellowship will enable them to create positive impact, in line with the Chatham House mission and overarching purpose of Academy Fellowships as outlined above;
• Show motivation to undertake the fellowship, meet all fellowship deliverables, and take full advantage of the networks, events and opportunities offered at Chatham House;and
• Demonstrate proficiency in spoken English.
   

Selection process:

• Stage one: complete the application. Once the submission period ends, all applications will be reviewed and shortlisted by our selection committee.
• Stage two: shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview via Zoom. The interviews are carried out by a member of senior management at Chatham House and relevant programme representatives. After this round, fellows will be selected and notified via email.

Application Documents

• The applicant’s CV/résumé
• The names of two referees
• The applicant’s proposal for a research project based on the topic guidance

Application Deadline

March 19, 2025

How to Apply