About this opportunity
The Africa Institute, part of Global Studies University in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, has opened its 2027 Research Fellowships Program. The program offers four named, full-time residential fellowships for scholars whose work engages substantially with Africa and the African diaspora across the humanities and social sciences. The application window runs from 6 July 2026 to 30 September 2026, and selected fellows begin their residency in Sharjah in September 2027.
Two senior fellowships and two postdoctoral fellowships make up the 2027 cohort. The Toni Morrison Senior Fellowship in African Diaspora Literature and Cultural Studies and the Ali A. Mazrui Senior Fellowship in Global African Studies each run for one academic year and are aimed at associate or full professors, or their equivalents within or outside the academy, including independent authors and public intellectuals recognized for their writing on Africa and its diaspora. The Okwui Enwezor Postdoctoral Fellowship in Visual Culture, Performance Studies and Critical Humanities and the Fatema Mernissi Postdoctoral Fellowship in Social and Cultural Studies each run for two academic years and require a Ph.D. awarded within the five years before taking up the award.
All four fellowships are full-time residencies at the Institute in Sharjah, and the 2027 schedule expects fellows to arrive around mid-August 2027 so that housing and residency arrangements are settled before the program begins. Senior fellowships conclude in June 2028 and postdoctoral fellowships in June 2029. The public call confirms residency and housing arrangements but does not publish a salary, stipend amount or research allowance, so applicants should not assume a particular monetary package and should confirm financial terms through the application portal or an offer letter. There is no application fee.
Applications are submitted through the Global Studies University online portal, and the Institute asks applicants to choose the new applicant option to begin or the continue option to return to a saved submission. Each application needs a research abstract of up to 300 words, a project statement of 1,000 to 2,000 words, two writing samples that may be published or unpublished, a letter of interest, a current curriculum vitae and the contact details of three referees, whom the Institute will approach directly for reference letters. Applications by email, late submissions and incomplete submissions are not considered, uploaded files must stay within 3 MB each, and the
Application timeline
is 30 September 2026 at 11:59 PM Gulf Standard Time.
What you receive
- The Toni Morrison Senior Fellowship in African Diaspora Literature and Cultural Studies, a one-year residency
- The Ali A. Mazrui Senior Fellowship in Global African Studies, a one-year residency
- The Okwui Enwezor Postdoctoral Fellowship in Visual Culture, Performance Studies and Critical Humanities, a two-year residency
- The Fatema Mernissi Postdoctoral Fellowship in Social and Cultural Studies, a two-year residency
- A full-time research residency at The Africa Institute, a center for research, documentation, study and teaching on Africa and its diaspora
- Membership of an interdisciplinary scholarly community of fellows, faculty and postgraduate students at Global Studies University
- Residency and housing arrangements supported ahead of the September start, with fellows arriving around mid-August 2027
- Applicants can log in to the portal at any time to monitor the status of their application through the review process
Who can apply
- Senior Fellowships: scholars at associate professor or full professor level, or their equivalents within or outside the academy
- Senior Fellowships also welcome independent authors and public intellectuals who earned critical recognition for their writing in fields related to Africa and the African diaspora
- Postdoctoral Fellowships: applicants must hold a Ph.D. awarded within the five years prior to assuming the fellowship
- Proposed research must engage meaningfully with Africa, the African diaspora, or closely connected fields within the chosen fellowship focus
- Applicants must be able to commit to a full-time residency in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, arriving around mid-August 2027
- Applicants should select the named fellowship whose intellectual focus best matches their proposed research
Who should not apply
- Applications sent by email are not accepted, and incomplete or late submissions will not be considered
Documents to prepare
- Research abstract of up to 300 words outlining the proposed project
- Project statement of 1,000 to 2,000 words covering research objectives, approach and scholarly importance, with an optional one-page bibliography
- Two samples of academic or intellectual writing, published or unpublished
- Letter of interest explaining the applicant's interest in the fellowship and the proposed research
- Current curriculum vitae, plus contact details of three referees whom the Institute will contact directly for reference letters
How to apply
- Review the four named fellowships on The Africa Institute Senior and Postdoctoral Fellowships Program page and choose the track that matches your research
- Check the eligibility criteria for that track, professorial level or equivalent for the senior fellowships, and a Ph.D. awarded within the last five years for the postdoctoral fellowships
- Prepare the research abstract, project statement, two writing samples, letter of interest, curriculum vitae and referee contacts, keeping every file within 3 MB
- Open the Global Studies University application portal and select Apply as a New Applicant, or Continue an Existing Application if you have already started
- Complete the online application and upload all required materials, then submit before 30 September 2026 at 11:59 PM Gulf Standard Time
- Log in to the portal at any time to follow the status of the application during review, and direct technical questions to applications@theafricainstitute.org
Selection process
- Applications are received through the online portal between 6 July 2026 and 30 September 2026
- The faculty of Global Studies University reviews all applications
- Selection is based on the quality of the research proposal and the applicant's demonstrated capacity to complete the project
- Offer notifications are expected by mid-December 2026
- Selected fellows arrive in Sharjah around mid-August 2027, with the program beginning in September 2027
- Senior fellowships conclude in June 2028 and postdoctoral fellowships conclude in June 2029
Sources and verification
- Official source , Discovered by the opportunity automation module.
Questions applicants ask
Is the 2027 fellowship package fully funded?
The public call confirms full-time residential fellowships with residency and housing arrangements, but it does not publish a salary, stipend amount, research allowance or other financial terms. Applicants should not assume a particular monetary award and should confirm the details through the application portal, an offer letter or direct correspondence with the Institute.
How long do the fellowships last?
Each Senior Fellowship runs for one academic year, from September 2027 to June 2028 for the 2027 cohort. Each Postdoctoral Fellowship runs for two academic years, from September 2027 to June 2029.
Can the fellowship be done remotely?
No. All four fellowships are full-time residential programs in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and selected fellows are expected to arrive around mid-August 2027 so that residency and housing arrangements are completed before the September start.
Who can apply for the senior fellowships?
The senior fellowships are open to scholars at the level of associate professor or full professor in their home institutions, or equivalents within or outside the academy, including independent authors and public intellectuals who earned critical recognition for their writings in fields related to Africa and the African diaspora.
What does the five-year rule mean for postdoctoral applicants?
Applicants for the Okwui Enwezor and Fatema Mernissi Postdoctoral Fellowships must have been awarded their Ph.D. within the five years prior to assuming the fellowship.
What documents does the application require?
A research abstract of up to 300 words, a project statement of 1,000 to 2,000 words with an optional one-page bibliography, two writing samples that may be published or unpublished, a letter of interest, a current curriculum vitae, and the contact details of three referees whom the Institute will contact directly for reference letters.
When is the deadline and are late applications considered?
The deadline is Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at 11:59 PM Gulf Standard Time. Incomplete or late submissions are not considered, and applications sent by email are not accepted, so applicants should upload all materials to the portal well before the final hours.
Who reviews the applications and how are fellows chosen?
The faculty of Global Studies University reviews every application. Selection rests on the quality of the research proposal and the applicant's demonstrated capacity to successfully complete the proposed project.
Important disclaimer
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