CAPSI Africa Fellowship Program for Ph.D Students 2024

Published: 10 May 2024

The Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) at the Wits Business School, with the support of the Mastercard Foundation, invites applications for Doctoral Fellowship on the Non-Profit Sector and its Contribution to African Economies project. The aim of the PhD fellowship is to provide opportunities for young African doctoral students registered in African universities to participate in research on non-profit organisations and their contributions to African economies. The specific focus of the research project is ‘the creation of dignified and fulfilling work for young Africans by the non-profit sector’.

This doctoral fellowship programme invites doctoral students exclusively from African universities in the 17 countries targeted by the project. These are Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Doctoral students will be working on topics related to non-profit organisations and their contributions to African economies, particularly those focusing on dignified and fulfilling employment for young Africans. Successful applicants will work closely with Regional Research Leads paired with senior researchers in undertaking their research. Fellows will be selected in line with categories of youth marginality that the project is paying special attention to -gender, disability, geography, refugees and internally displaced persons, etc.

Applications are invited from doctoral students with an interest in the non-profit sector and its role in African economies. In the current call, only those from and focusing on the following countries will be prioritised: Burkina Faso, DRC, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal,  South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

CAPSI Ph.D. Fellowship

Benefits of CAPSI Ph.D. Fellowship

This doctoral fellowship programme offers a maximum of five years of support to twenty (20) selected full time Ph.D students. Each fellow will receive a fully funded fellowship, providing a full scholarship of up to $30,000 per year.

Requirements for CAPSI Ph.D. Fellowship

To be eligible for the Fellowship Programme, applicants must:

• Be currently enrolled as full time students in a relevant doctoral program at an African university focusing on themes and research aligned to the project. 
• Have research interest in the non-profit sector’s contributions to dignified and fulfilling work for African youth.  
• Demonstrate commitment to the program and the ability to work effectively in a team.
• Be available to participate in the program for its entire duration.
• Less than 35 years of age
• In the first or second year of their PhD programme.

1. Be nationals of any of the countries listed above and conducting research on any of them or some of them.

Selection Process

Timeline

Applications deadline: Friday, May 24th 2024.

Notification of successful applicants:  Friday, June 14th 2024.

Application Documents

1. Current curriculum vitae (CV).
2. A personal statement (maximum 500 words) outlining their research interest, motivation, and alignment with the advertised CAPSI Research programme.
3. An outline of their proposed research project (Maximum 2500 words) covering the following.
   1. Background of study
   2. Problem Statement
   3. Research questions
   4. Research objectives
   5. Literature review and theoretical framework
   6. Proposed methodology (covering research design, sampling and, data collection and ethical considerations)
4. A letter of recommendation from supervisor/proposed supervisor.
5. A copy of academic transcripts.
6. Proof of age  ( e.g., passport, birth certificate, etc.)
7. Proof of admission or registration in an African University  

Application Deadline

How to Apply