Through a generous founding gift from Edward O. Wilson, Faculty-Curator Emeritus and University Research Professor Emeritus, and with support from additional donors, the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) at Harvard University has established the E.O. Wilson Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. This program supports postdoctoral researchers at MCZ to pursue the discovery and formal taxonomic description of Earth’s animal species. Fellows will work under the supervision of one or more MCZ faculty-curators, who will provide office space, access to lab facilities and necessary research support. The program aims to achieve broad taxonomic coverage and is not restricted to any particular taxon.  Learn about the recipients of the Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship and the species described during their fellowship. Eligibility  A Ph.D. with relevant research experience in taxonomy and/or systematics is required. All formal requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed before the start of the fellowship, though degree receipt may be forthcoming. The EOW fellowship program is open to both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. Applicants need to identify at least one faculty-curator who has agreed to supervise the fellowship. Criteria for selection Applications will be evaluated by a committee of Harvard faculty who will prioritize the following in the selection process: The likelihood that the proposed work will result in the discovery and formal taxonomic description of animal species new to science. Fully developed and well thought out research programs with significance of proposed research clearly highlighted.  The use of integrative methodologies that combine several data types in crafting solutions to taxonomic problems. A strong academic record of taxonomic/systemics research. Additional considerations Preference will be given to applicants not currently affiliated with Harvard University, and to those who have received their doctoral degree within the previous three years. In order to encourage a diversity of expertise within the MCZ, preference will be given to individuals studying taxonomic groups not currently under investigation by an active EOW Fellow (please refer to the list of active fellows). At this time, the selection committee will not consider proposals emphasizing the taxonomy and systematics of fossil/extinct species. Terms & Conditions Stipend of $55,000/year Benefits-eligible Research and travel allowance of $4,000/year Start date flexible, but within 12 months of extended fellowship offer Maximum two-year appointment, with funding for year 2 contingent upon successful performance during year 1 Residence in the Cambridge area is required Relocation allowance negotiable after fellowship awarded Application Components  A cover letter no longer than one page. A research proposal, no longer than four pages and single-spaced, should describe: the nature and scope of the proposed research project; the approach and methods to be employed; how existing MCZ collections would be utilized and augmented with new specimens; laboratory and equipment requirements; the proposed MCZ faculty-curator sponsor, and likely products (publications, etc.) to be completed by the end of the fellowship period. Research budget: Include a simple, one-page budget that itemizes anticipated research and travel costs, not to exceed the fellowship allowance. A curriculum vitae no longer than three pages. Up to five pertinent publications. Three letters of recommendation from non-Harvard scientists. Include names and contact information of the three referees with the application. The letters will be submitted separately from the application through an online system (see below). Letters are due within two weeks follwing the application deadline. The application is complete only when all three letters are received. Interview: A subset of applicants may be asked to further discuss their proposals with the selection committee via videoconference. Submission through Harvard Academic Recruiting Information eSystem (ARieS) Deadline September 30, 2021 Questions Please email inquiries regarding the Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship Read more

https://repository.ruforum.org/system/tdf/AGNES-JUNIOR-RESEARCHER-GRANT-CALL-2021.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=39369&force=&utm_source=RUFORUM+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=d18db56afe-RUFORUM+Weekly+-+Vol.3+No.25_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcfbb8a0b-d18db56afe-346973753&ct=t()&goal=0_1fcfbb8a0b-d18db56afe-346973753&mc_cid=d18db56afe&mc_eid=d95cf18a8d Read more

Objectives These grants help PhD students and postgraduate research assistants to meet the costs of specialist field training courses and to network and publicise their research by presenting their work at workshops and conferences. Deadline Our second round of funding for 2021 is now OPEN with a deadline of 17:00 (BST) Friday 10 September. Training and Travel Grants are awarded on a first come, first serve basis, therefore once all of the funding has been allocated, we are no longer able to accept applications. If the meeting you wish to attend is between January and the end of June, you must apply to the first round. If the meeting is after June, you should apply to the second round. (Please note that awards may take up to 2 weeks to be processed, therefore events taking place in the first two weeks of July are eligible for application within the first round).  To Apply REGISTER ONLINE When applications open, register/log in to our online grants system, complete your contact details, and navigate to ‘Your Applications’. Virtual Events and Courses Applicants can now use these grants to attend a virtual conference/course, to cover registration fees up to £250. In these circumstances, the applicant must provide proof of registration on acceptance, and meet the standard eligibility and criteria as outlined below. If you are unsure that your event meets the BES criteria, contact Siri McDonnell. Eligibility and Conditions All applicants are required to: be a BES member. have at least a B.Sc. or equivalent degree. use an institutional email address in order to apply. Any exceptions must be discussed in advance of submission with Grants & Events Officer, Siri McDonnell for approval. be a PhD student, postgraduate research assistant (within 3 years of completing relevant degree) or equivalent (Postdoc researchers are therefore not eligible to apply). work or study at a university or research institution (including field centres, NGOs, museums, etc.) that provide research facilities. work in scientific areas within our remit (the science of ecology) and of relevance to the training course or meeting they are applying to attend. give a presentation if attending a meeting. no retrospective claims for funding will be considered. no applicant may receive more than two Training & Travel Grants in any five year period. There must be at least three years between grants. There is no application deadline; instead, there are two opening dates within a 12 month period (January and July). Once funding for one round has been allocated, the round will close until the next opening date. If the meeting you wish to attend is between January and the end of June, you must apply to the first round. If the meeting is after June, you should apply to the second round. (Please note that awards may take up to 2 weeks to be processed, therefore events taking place in the first three weeks of July are eligible for the first round).  Our website will be updated when the funding for each round has been allocated.Our Training and Travel grants are awarded on a first come first serve basis; submitting an application does not guarantee funding. If you want to attend an event/training that falls within our remit, please email our Grants & Events Officer, Siri McDonnell. A maximum of two places per training course may be funded on a first come first serve basis. No more than two applicants from the same institution may attend the same meeting/conference. The applicant is responsible for booking to attend the course/event/workshop and as the grants are paid in retrospect, must pay the relevant institution/organiser the required fee at the time of booking as well as all monies additional to the award amount i.e. single supplements. Successful applicants are bound by the booking conditions of the organisation running the event, course or workshop and non-attendance on a booked course or event will result in the applicant being personally liable for the cancellation fee. It is a condition of all of our grant schemes that applicants submit a report within three months of the end date of your award. Reports will be submitted via our online grants system. Our Events We offer significant student registration discount on the costs of our own events, including our symposia and majority of our Special Interest Group (SIG) events. Therefore, Travel Grants are not available for these meetings. Grants may be considered for SIG events if the meeting is taking place outside the country in which the applicant resides. We have a limited number of grants available to attend our Annual Meeting and Symposia if you are a student, postgraduate research assistant, and a citizen of/working in a ‘low-income economy’ or ‘lower-middle-income economy’ country according to the World Bank categorization. Annual Meeting Deadline: Applications will open later in 2021. We are pleased to be able to support a limited number of students/postgraduate research assistant who are a citizen of/ and working in a ‘low-income economy’ or ‘lower-middle-income economy’ country according to the World Bank categorization to attend our Annual Meeting each December. These will be awarded on a first come first serve basis. Grants of up to £1000 are available. If you wish to apply for a Travel Grant to attend our Annual Meeting, please note the same conditions apply as the standard Training & Travel Grants (please see above). In summary you need to: Be a student/postgraduate research assistant Be a citizen of and working within a ‘low-income economy’ or ‘lower-middle-income economy’ country according to the World Bank categorization. Have a talk or poster presentation accepted at the meeting Be a member of the BES This counts as a standard Training & Travel Grant, therefore the following applies: no applicant may receive more than two Training & Travel Grants in any five year period. There must be at least three years between grants. Please note: applicants who are awarded a grant to cover registration fees for the Festival of Ecology 2020 will still be eligible to apply for all of BES Travel Grants in 2021, including those to our 2021 Annual Meeting. When applications open, register/log in to our online grants system, complete your contact details, and navigate to ‘Your Applications’. Value Unless the applicant is self-funded, it is expected that their organisation will provide at least £150 of support towards the costs of the event. a maximum of £250 is available to cover the cost of registration fees for virtual conferences/courses. a maximum of £300 is available for events and courses being held in the applicants’ country of residence. a maximum of £500 is available for events being held outside the applicants’ country of residence. grants of up to £1,000 are available to attend our Annual Meeting if the applicant is a citizen of and working in a country that is classified as ‘low-income economy’ or ‘lower-middle-income economy’ according to the World Bank. the grant will be paid after the event has taken place, on receipt of a brief report, certificate of attendance and any appropriate receipts. all costs must be clearly justified within the budget section. Costs that are not justified will not be considered. Please ensure all costs are clearly calculated in GBP (British Sterling). Learn more: https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/funding/training-travel-grants/?utm_source=RUFORUM+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=d18db56afe-RUFORUM+Weekly+-+Vol.3+No.25_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcfbb8a0b-d18db56afe-346973753&ct=t()&goal=0_1fcfbb8a0b-d18db56afe-346973753&mc_cid=d18db56afe&mc_eid=d95cf18a8d  Read more

AfricaNow! Call for Proposals The African Studies Association (ASA) is excited to continue our AfricaNow! format to accommodate emerging issues on our Annual Meeting program. These sessions will feature late-breaking issues that emerged subsequent to the close of the ASA CFP.   Format:Sessions can be proposed as group discussions (maximum of five presenters), individual presentations, or memorials. Please ensure that your AfricaNow! proposal meets the following criteria:• Proposals must relate directly to current events on Africa and/or African Studies.• All AfricaNow! organizers and presenters must register for the Annual Meeting when notified of acceptance. Suggested Topics for 2021 are (but not limited to):• Developments in Ethiopia, Chad, Eswatini, South Africa, etc.• TikTok, WitchTok, Internet Rituals, & Black Lives Matter• COVID Vaccination• The 2021 Olympics• Literary Analysis: We Are All Birds of Uganda, Black Sunday: A Novel, Unbury Our Dead With Song, etc.• All 2021 Memorials   To Submit:Please prepare a (1) basic title, (2) an abstract that describes the session and confirms its timeliness, (3) the format, (4) the names and affiliations of each presenter, (5) the duration of the session, and (6) your preferred date and time. We will do our best to accommodate your preferences.   Submission GuidelinesAfricaNow! sessions will not be peer-reviewed and submissions of formal panels and papers will not be accepted in this format. The participation rules do not apply to AfricaNow! sessions. Presenters who are already on the program may submit proposals. Abstracts that were already submitted prior to the submission deadline cannot be resubmitted for AfricaNow! consideration. All requests for sessions will be reviewed by the ASA Secretariat for general appropriateness. The AfricaNow! submission portal via OpenWater is currently open and will close September 10, 2021. SUBMIT TO AFRICANOW! HERE. Read more

TWAS offers fellowships to young scientists in developing countries to enable them to spend three to 12 months at a research institution in a developing country other than their own. The purpose of these fellowships is to enhance the research capacity of promising scientists, especially those at the beginning of their research career, helping them to foster links for further collaboration.   Eligibility The fellowships are for research and advanced training. They are offered to young scientists holding at least an MSc or equivalent degree. Eligible applicants for the fellowships are young scientists working in any area of natural sciences who are citizens of a developing country and are employed by a research institution in a developing country. There is no age limit. However, preference is given to young scientists at the beginning of their research career and those working in Least Developed Countries. Lists of possible host institutions divided by field are available here. These lists are only a suggestion and institutions that are not included are acceptable as long as they are in a developing country. Institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China, are not eligible host institutions under this programme. Applicants interested in conducting a fellowship in China are required to check whether their chosen host is a CAS institute. For a complete list of CAS institutes, see: english.cas.cn/institutes/. Applicants wishing to attend a CAS institute should either apply to the CAS-TWAS President’s Postgraduate Fellowship Programme or consider the CAS Fellowships for Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholars from Developing Countries (http://english.cas.cn/cooperation/fellowships/201503/t20150313_145274.shtml). Deadline: 1 October each year. Terms of the Fellowships The fellowships are offered for a minimum of three months and a maximum of twelve months. TWAS covers international low-cost airfare plus a contribution towards subsistence amounting to a maximum of USD 300 per month. No other costs will be provided by TWAS. The host institution is expected to provide accommodation and food as well as research facilities. Fellowships are awarded by the TWAS Fellowships Committee on the basis of scientific merit. Submitting your application Applicants must complete the online application form by clicking on the 'Apply now' button at the bottom of this page. While filling in the online application, applicants also need to upload the following documentation: scanned copy of your passport, even if expired (page with your name and surname); CV, maximum five pages including publications; Supporting Statement from Head of Home Institution; two reference letters of senior scientists familiar with your work. Please note that the Head of your Home Institution cannot be one of your referees; MSc certificate and relevant university transcripts; Official invitation letter from the  Head of the Host Institute;   IMPORTANT Note that the Fellowships are provided for South-South visits only, i.e. for visits by researchers from developing countries to institutions in other developing countries. Please be advised that applicants may apply for only one programme per calendar year in the TWAS and OWSD portfolio. Applicants will not be eligible to visit another institution in that year under the TWAS Visiting Professorprogrammes. One exception: the head of an institution who invites an external scholar to share his/her expertise under the TWAS Visiting Professor programmes may still apply for another programme.   Contact email:  exchanges@twas.org Read more

The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), a consortium of 129 Universities in 38 African Countries, is pleased to announce the call for 2021 RUFORUM Young African Entrepreneurs Competition (RUYAEC). The overall purpose of the RUFORUM Young African Entrepreneurs Competition (RUYAEC) is to catalyse entrepreneurship through promotion of business innovation and provision of seed funding to young entrepreneurs with creative and innovative business ideas among African youth. RUYAEC will target young African entrepreneurs and incubates below 35 years of age to compete for 20 awards that show case their innovations, enterprises, business concepts and propositions.   This fourth round (see previous rounds here) of the RUFORUM Young Innovators Competition will be an Africa-wide competition and hence it will target all African countries. The awards will be made in Cotonou, Benin during the RUFORUM Triennial Conference in December, 2021.   RUFORUM targets to provide 20 awards to young innovators and entrepreneurs in the following fields: Food and agribusiness, Incubations, ICTs, Health, Engineering, Natural resources, and Meteorology, among others. All the 2016, 2018, and 2019 RUFORUM Young Innovators Awardees are NOT eligible to apply.   The RUYAEC operates within one of RUFORUM’s values and principles of creativity seeking to offer opportunities to develop innovative solutions both in addressing the problems faced by smallholder farmers, and in managing research projects in remote areas.   For more information, please visit https://ruforum.smehub.africa/. The new revised deadline of submissions of applications for this fourth round is 31st August 2021.   Read more

Eligibility All proposals must identify potential innovation support programs that might form the basis of their research program. Direct-entry  grants will be required to provide a detailed methodology suitable for examining the identified innovation support program(s).  Stage 1 proposals must identify principal and co-principal  investigators based at a public research organization  (e.g., a government-legislated public or private university) or a non-profit research organization (e.g., think tanks).  Direct- entry proposals will also have a principal investigator from a research organization but will include collaborator  from innovation agencies that have or had some responsibility for the implementation of the innovation support program being investigated.  Stage 1 grants are to include representatives from two or more countries. Direct-entry grants do not have to involve two or more countries.  Eligible countries: This funding opportunity supports applications led from and focused on the following countries: Afghanistan; Angola; Benin; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; Central African Republic; Chad; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Haiti; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Liberia; Lesotho; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Myanmar; Nepal; Niger; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Sudan; Sudan; Togo; Timor-Leste; Uganda; United Republic of Tanzania; Yemen; Zambia and Zimbabwe. For purposes of this call, the lead administrative organization must be based in the countries above. Applicants from the island states of Tuvalu, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Comoros, and São Tomé and Príncipe may participate but as members of a consortia.   Scope   This funding opportunity aims to:  generate new evidence on the performance and the distributional impacts of innovation support programs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs),   promote collaboration between researchers and innovation agencies, and   strengthen networks and capacity for analysis and implementation of innovation policies.    Research focus: The funding opportunity supports research that generates evidence on the performance and distributional impacts of SME support programs or policies (e.g., on women-led enterprises, access to goods and services in underserved communities, employment for youth). There are a wide range of policies and services that seek to create and develop SMEs, referred to here as innovation support programs. The performance of such programs has been examined but there is considerable scope to strengthen the evidence base in lower-income countries.   It aims to support an integrative approach to understanding both the firm/economic performance of innovation support programs as well as their social impacts by integrating equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) analyses. The rationale for this focus stems from an interest in promoting evidence-informed decision-making as well as understanding the strengths and weaknesses of targeted EDI initiatives and how economic policies can support social development goals (e.g., gender equality).    Collaboration: The funding opportunity invites active involvement and leadership from both researchers and agency staff responsible for designing and/or implementing innovation support programs. Non-academic collaborators may involve representatives from government and non-profit or for-profit agencies.  It is expected that this collaboration will facilitate access to data, improve empirical analysis, and position research evidence for application.    Sequenced funding:  The application deadline for Stage 1 and direct-entry grants is July 28, 2021.  Stage 1 grants will fund survey research and network development over a 12-month period. This preparatory phase will position teams to submit detailed Stage 2 proposals, which would support in-depth analysis of identified innovation support programs. Direct-entry grants are designed to support time-sensitive research projects that can be mobilized quickly to advance the aims of this call.  More details For more information, please read the program description for this funding opportunity. A frequently asked questions page will be maintained to respond to applicant questions.  For further inquiries, contact e4i@idrc.ca.  If you are eligible for this opportunity, we welcome you to submit an application.  Read more

The Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) seeks proposals from AAP consortium members and their partners for activities which directly address AAP's Transforming Institutions pillar (transforming institutions to be better able to participate in sustainable, equitable, and research-driven partnerships that make a broader impact on transforming lives). Successful applicants will receive seed funding to develop international strategic partnerships with universities, institutions of higher education and research, and/or organizations in the public or NGO sectors. Travel can include any of the following—within Africa, to Africa from external locations, to the US, or to other locations outside of Africa. Virtual engagement is highly encouraged, and proposals that include in-person travel or meetings should provide a contingency plan in case circumstances prevent traveling or meeting in-person (COVID contingency plan including a budget). Proposed partnerships should focus specifically on institutional strengthening and capacity development. This could include projects that aim to build institutional strengths; to contribute to individuals’ capacity development which will lead to institutional strengthening; to plan for new units or institution-wide initiatives; and/or to pilot new approaches to research support, teaching or outreach that can eventually be scaled up across the institution(s). Some examples of the types of programs that could fall under this funding initiative: developing plans or programs to improve institutional research management structures, building capacity of administrative units or leaders, improving structures for outreach and research dissemination, creating new and innovative curricula or pedagogical approaches in priority areas, or strengthening student service units focused on career services and/or entrepreneurship. Proposals that solely focus on research topics unrelated to institutional capacity development and do not directly address how the work contributes to institutional strengthening will not be considered. For examples of past awards, visit Transforming Institutions Past Awardees. Guidelines Proposals may be submitted in one of the following three project categories in support of institutional strengthening and capacity development: Exploratory Projects to support initial-stage partnership development. This funding is meant for new partnerships that have not previously worked together. Proposal Development Projects to support partners to develop a proposal in response to a specific funding opportunity.  Pilot Workshop Projects to support short-term training activities or workshops. We highly encourage projects that incorporate South-South collaboration. This has been identified as an AAP priority and will be factored into the selection process. We also encourage collaboration across Francophone and Anglophone countries/consortium members. Proposals that address building the administrative capacity of universities (e.g., research management, finance, fundraising and advancement, career services, communications and publishing, governance and leadership, etc.) will also receive priority in review. Funding can cover travel and/or associated meeting or workshop costs. The budget may also cover salary/fringe expenses up to $5,000 USD. AAP will consider proposals up to a maximum of $20,000 USD requested funds (not including cost share). Proposals should include a combined 20% cost share contribution across all the partner institutions (with each institution contributing some amount). This contribution could be monetary, in-kind, or a combination of the two. Eligibility Proposals should include co-PIs from each of the partner institutions included in the proposal and must include a PI from MSU and PI(s) from at least one other AAP consortium member (AAP Consortium members include MSU, Egerton University, Makerere University, University of Dar es Salaam, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Botswana, University of Nigeria-Nsukka, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Université des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Bamako, University of Pretoria, United States International University – Africa, and ReNAPRI). Those who served as a PI (project lead) on a previously funded AAP Transforming Institutions Strategic Funding project are not eligible to lead a proposal for this competition but may participate in the proposed project as a team member. Faculty members may only be listed (as PI or as team member) on one proposal submitted to AAP for each round of funding. AAP will work with teams once awarded to verify a timeline for when activities will be completed. (Teams should aim to carry out projects between October 1, 2021 and August 15, 2022). Evaluation Criteria Criteria that will be used to evaluate the proposals includes: Evidence of a shared vision and mutually beneficial interests among the partners as well as a joint commitment to the success of the proposed partnership Clarity of the connection of proposed activities to AAP’s Transforming Institutions pillar Demonstrated integration of gender, equity, and inclusion principles Quality of short-term outputs/outcomes of proposed activities Potential for a sustained, productive partnership; quality of long-term impacts of proposed activities Potential for leveraging significant external funding. Indicators used to evaluate the outputs/outcomes of completed projects include: Evidence of continued productive collaboration among partner institutions around transforming all organizations involved in the partnership The number and quality of institutional improvements that stem from the partnership activities Symposia or conferences held to disseminate work stemming from the partnership activities Collaborative grant applications submitted and awarded Collaborative research publications completed Other measures of institutional transformation as proposed by the implementing teams A follow-up report including data on these criteria will be required 30 days after the program end date. Partnership Activities Proposed partnerships should center on capacity building activities, including external funding proposal development and dissemination of outputs, that contribute to transformation at all partnering institutions. Proposed activities should ultimately lead to potential long-term collaborations among the partner institutions. Follow-on funding may be allocated for continued support to develop these partnerships depending on the outcomes of the initial budget and availability of funds. Partnership Funding Transforming Institutions partnership funds will provide partial support of travel, meeting, and workshop costs for AAP consortium faculty members and their partners. The Co-PIs’ colleges, faculties and/or departments will be expected to contribute to the costs of the proposed activities to ensure that the commitment to long-term partnering is shared by these units. A total of 20% match (monetary and/or in-kind) is required with contributions from all partners. These awards should ultimately result in the development and submission of a collaborative funding proposal (including partner institution faculty) for external funding as well as having positive impacts on other indicators of institutional transformation. Proposal Requirements Proposals must be submitted in English and should include: Narrative (not to exceed five pages) which addresses specifically: The activities being proposed for this funding. Please include a description of the activities, the role of each partner, and the timeline. Applicants must also include a COVID contingency plan for any in-person meetings or travel The proposed topics or issues that the activities will address A general description of the partners and individuals who will take part in the project The history of partnership among those involved and the potential for sustained future engagement A description of the partners’ shared vision and how each partner will benefit from the proposed activities Considerations taken for gender, equity, and inclusion (in terms of the team members and the project activities) How the activities will contribute to transforming all the institutions included in the partnership. Please describe the objectives of the activities, the anticipated short-term outcomes of the project, and their relation to the institutions’ needs The anticipated longer-term outcomes and impact of the proposed activities Identification of external funding opportunities that could support the proposed research/activities in the future Written endorsements from the applicants’ deans, department chairpersons, or supervisors committing to a total minimum of 20% matching funds and a description of any monetary or in-kind contributions from partner institutions. Proposed itemized budget. Please use the provided budget template. Submitting a Proposal Please submit proposals via our online submission form. Be sure to include all required documents listed above (proposal narrative, letters of endorsement, proposed budget—with COVID contingency budget included—using the provided template). Submission deadline: August 2, 2021 (11:59pm EDT)   https://aap.isp.msu.edu/funding/transforming-institutions-call-proposals/ Read more

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS Muslim Studies Program 15th Annual Conference Michigan State University, International Center, East Lansing, MI, USA February 24-25, 2022 “Belong Nowhere”: States of Statelessness in the Muslim World Michigan State University is hosting an international conference entitled “‘Belonging Nowhere’: States of Statelessness in the Muslim World.” This conference recognizes that Muslims comprise a significant portion of the over 36 million refugee and stateless persons worldwide and seeks to understand the drivers of conflicts that lead to displacement in the Muslim world and the effects it has on Muslim communities. Further, we hope to explore avenues for advocacy for such communities, at local, regional, and global scales. Significance of theme: Several international conventions frame our understanding of and responses to statelessness and refugees. These include the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, the Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons (1954) and the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (1961). Under these conventions, contracting states must afford displaced individuals protections and rights as any lawful alien in that country. Various other conventions and organizations have been created over the years to establish rights for stateless persons and refugees under international law. Despite these efforts, stateless individuals and refugees continue to be denied basic human rights and protections such as identity documents, employment, education, and access to health services. Stateless people continue to have no legal protection and no right to political participation, or even to advocate on their own behalf. They often lack access to education, employment, health care, registration of birth, marriage or death, and property rights. Refugees and stateless people may also encounter travel restrictions, social exclusion, and heightened vulnerability to poverty, poor health outcomes, social exclusion, sexual and physical violence, exploitation, human trafficking, forcible displacement, and an increased risk of radicalization. According to the UNHCR, statelessness and refugee status have devastating effects on the lives of at least 36 million people around the world. Of these, nearly 75% have effectively become minority groups in new lands, as is the case with, for example, Palestinians Kurds, Syrians, and Rohingya Muslims. Whole generations of Muslims are growing up disenfranchised with little to no legal protections and long-lasting political, social and psychological consequences. Panelists will be invited to discuss the causes of displacement and the consequences for individuals, states, and our increasingly global Muslim communities Conference format: The two-day conference will take place on February 24-25, 2022, and will include a networking dinner, panels, and a keynote. The precise format will be announced at a later date. Call for papers: The organizers welcome abstracts for previously unpublished research on the conference theme conceived broadly; and hope to include scholarship reflecting a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary backgrounds—including (but not limited to) refugee studies, sociology, history, anthropology, psychology, political studies, law, and religious studies. Junior scholars and post-doctoral researchers are encouraged to submit abstracts for consideration. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2021, and accepted papers will be announced by September 30, 2021. Click here to complete the Call for Papers Form Read more

The Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) has several opportunities available in conjunction with its Fourteenth Annual ASMEA Conference being held in Washington, D.C. November 13 – 15, 2021. To stimulate new and diverse lines of discourse about the Middle East and Africa, ASMEA will once again offer its Research Grant Program. This program seeks to support research on topics that deserve greater attention. An applicant may submit a proposal that constitutes new and original research within these five areas: minorities and women, military history, governance and economy, faith, and Iran. Grants of up to $2500 will be awarded. Learn more and apply HERE. The ASMEA Travel Grant Program provides funds primarily to Ph.D. students, post-Docs, and junior faculty studying the Middle East or Africa interested in presenting their research at the Annual ASMEA Conference. Grants of up to $750 will be awarded and may be used to cover expenses associated with attending the Annual Conference. Learn more HERE. New this year, ASMEA has announced the Bernard Lewis Prize for scholars or practitioners working on issues of antisemitism. The $2500 prize will be awarded at the Fourteenth Annual Conference. Learn more HERE. The deadline to submit a Research or Travel Grant application is April 30, 2021. The deadline to submit an application for the Bernard Lewis Prize is June 30, 2021. Questions can be directed to info@asmeascholars.org.   by Emily Lucas Read more

by Richard Raber   Nokoko, the journal of Carleton University’s Institute of African Studies, is preparing a special issue on the theme “Shifting Geopolitics and Militarization in Africa.” We invite abstracts for research articles addressing the issues presented below. We also welcome book reviews, and briefings from scholars, public intellectuals, and activists.    Widespread assessments within International Relations suggest a transformation is underway from the post-Cold War order characterized by American supremacy, towards a new multi-polar world. In Africa, this follows thirty years in which the Washington Consensus entrenched a liberal international order across the continent. In that time, governments rewrote constitutions to protect private property and foreign investment, diverted state expenditure from social goods, while facilitating widespread (and ongoing) privatization. Over the same period, US Africa Command (US-AFRICOM) sought hosts for US troops. The result has been a surge in US military presence across the continent, with American troops working alongside as well as training and equipping African forces. In turn, the United States gained interoperability agreements and a network of “lily pad” bases throughout Africa. This expansion occurred with little public scrutiny, and relied on regimes of legal immunity that may exceed those of colonial regimes.   There are reasons to focus beyond the US, even as the US exceeds other states in the scale and extent of its presence. Since the 2008 financial crisis, there has been a marked geopolitical recalibration in Africa. China, Russia, middle-powers, and former colonial countries have established military relations in ways reminiscent of colonial era canton systems in China and India. While unclear if troop placements reflect trade and commercial interests, China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, the UK, France,Canada, Italy, Japan and Turkey are present.    Meanwhile, smaller powers such as India and Saudi Arabia have emerged as major sources of arms across Africa as both Egypt and South Africa ramp up arms production with the hopes of expanding exports on the continent.  China’s formal military presence on the continent commenced with ground troops in 2011 with the aim of withdrawing its citizens during the war in Libya. Chinese arms sales to Cameroon, Congo DRC, Ghana, Sudan, Tanzania, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe increased 55% between 2013 and 2017. Algeria is the third-largest buyer of Chinese weapons after Pakistan and Bangladesh. China’s 8,000-member standby force with the UN is ready to take part inpeacekeeping, training, and operations.   Russia’s role is a fraction of China’s, yet the country signed nuclear energy deals and support agreements with the Central African and Mozambican militaries. Likewise, Russian natural gas and arms interests have built ties across the continent. In addition, Russia vies for a base in Sudan and in October 2019 held the first Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, Russia as part of renewed efforts to bolster its influence in the continent (Mwangi and Fabiano, 2020).   For its part, Djibouti has come to host a wide range of foreign bases. Italy, France, Japan, and China, all have bases a mere 10km from the US base. Together, these bases host another seven allied forces, which begs the question of whether its strategic importance offers added stability and strength or volatility and weakness in international relations, especially given the current drift toward war in neighbouring portions of Ethiopia.   The UK, France, and Canada increased their presence under the pretext of counterterrorism. In Kenya, the UK’s (and the US) training of government troops has coincided with a massive rise in extrajudicial killings. Under UN authority, and led by French troops, forces from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger formed the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Their objective? Prevent “terrorism” in the Sahel. In September 2019, West African governments pledged to commit a billion dollars to the effort. All this, despite the fact that known “terrorist” groups are in fact “embedded in local dynamics, and have some degree of political authority and legitimacy as they find support in criticisms of and protests over bad governance and lack of justice.” (Bruno Charbboneau, 2018)   European Union countries have ended humanitarian rescue patrols of the Mediteranean coasts and instead work to harden borders and fund the detaining of migrants in camps in North Africa. Europe’s interventions constitute a militarized response toward people who are already victims of war, thus further traumatizing them. And yet in many instances it is a militarized response to nonmilitary problems caused by failed economic policies, poor governance, ecological stresses, and persistent or growing poverty.    Several important questions stem from the presence of foreign militaries in Africa. How much does militarization relate to the economic and strategic interests of the intervening countries, of what Padraig Carmody termed “The New Scramble for Africa” (2016)? Might Africa again be a site of proxy wars—a conclusion suggested by the wars in the Sudans? What are the implications for governance and security forces within Africa? How do foreign troops support or constrain civil society and counter-hegemonic forces in Africa? How does their presence impact military and police cultures within host states?   For example, in Kenya and beyond, extrajudicial killings rose and a culture of impunity emerged among national forces, leaving local police to often appear as occupying forces themselves. This is certainly consistent with the recent, heroic, and historically unparallelled opposition to SARS forces in Nigeria. In Ghana, the enormous levels of military aid from the US, UK and EU donors has made the army a privileged institution. The military has wide business interests —including a bank and arms industry— and allows senior officers and “VIPs” of their choosing to use sirens and escorts to push luxury SUVs through local traffic, adding one more burden on regular citizens suffering inadequate infrastructure.    Of course, the expansion of foreign military involvement in Africa does not result in unidirectional dynamics, raising the question as to how African leaders respond and fashion state policies? What are the benefits to playing different countries off one another in collaborative arrangements, aid agreements and procurement contracts? Similarly, in light of shifting geopolitical dynamics, how have local coalitions responded? What kinds of local opposition and protest movements emerge, and what are their successes or failures? Similarly, what political changes are occurring within the African Union?    How do outside interventions exacerbate existing tensions within and between countries? In which ways do such interventions give life to new forms of class structure, class alliances and class struggle? What is the relationship between class structure and alliances to the distribution of natural resource wealth? What are their interactions with shifts elsewhere (e.g., the Caribbean and Latin America)? How does this transformation refract larger historical shifts? How do sites of intervention illuminate a new order and the re-calibration of power in Africa (and beyond)? What are the impacts of rhetorical efforts to build new alliances of African countries with BRICS and other rising powers?   We welcome research articles on the above topic any of the following sub-themes: Militarization and natural resources Militarization and strategic positioning, e.g. Indian Ocean, Somalia, Egypt, Algeria, and Sudan Militaries, popular struggles, and training of police and military for civil unrest Occupation forces such as in Western Sahara, Diego Garcia, and foreign military bases Migration and militarization Borders, borderlands, and changing notions of space and place Militaries and humanitarianism Militaries and gender violence Militaries and popular culture Surveillance and constitutional rights Contemporary military infrastructures Weaponization of the media Militias, mercenaries, paramilitaries, and the privatization of violence Militaries and indirect rule Militaries and ethnicity The business of war Flows of military aid Africa’s position in the arms industry Race, Gender, Imperial Knowledge and the afterlives of Empire in International Relations theory Shifting relations of power between and within African states Scholars whose abstracts are approved by the editors will be required to submit papers that critically engage with any number of these issues. Submissions should be no longer than 9,000 words. We also welcome shorter contributions as well as photo essays. Articles should follow Nokoko’s submission guidelines. We encourage potential authors to discuss articles in progress if they seek advice on preparing a successful submission. Please contact us if you wish to propose a particular book for review(s) and we will assist in finding a review copy. Book reviews have a 1000 word limit, although extended book reviews of two or more books may be longer (see, for example, the extended review by Heffernan in Issue 7). Policy briefings and agitations for new research agendas are welcome in the range of 4000 words. We also continue to accept articles outside this theme-specific area.   To submit use this link:  https://carleton.ca/africanstudies/research/nokoko/call-for-papers-nokoko/ Read more