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Please note that the application process is now closed.

The application guidelines can be downloaded here.

Role and purpose of the completion grants

Covid-19 continues to have a huge impact on PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. In recognition of this challenge, the AAMR is offering top-up grants that can support the completion of doctoral or postdoctoral projects. A completion grant is intended to cover late-stage costs related to a project (e.g. finalising fieldwork, writing time and living expenses) and cannot be used in conjunction with other AAMR grants.

Eligibility

Completion grants are open to PhD students and postdoctoral fellows who have reached, or who are near to reaching, the writing stage of their project.

Applicants can be based in any discipline (political science, urban studies, gender studies, sociology, anthropology, public health, etc.) as long as their overall focus is on human mobility.

Note that applications are welcome from scholars at universities not affiliated with the AAMR or ARUA. However, additional financial checks and/or oversight mechanisms may apply to institutions that do not have a formal agreement with the University of the Witwatersrand. Every effort will be made to accommodate strong submissions from non-partner universities. This may involve negotiating alternative payment arrangements.

AAMR is committed to equitable participation and encourages applications from individuals who may be excluded from other grant opportunities or who face additional social barriers.

Length of grant

Completion grants last for 9 months, from November 2021 to June 2022

Amount of grant

Each completion grant is worth GBP 3,000 (roughly equivalent to USD 4,150). Grants will be paid in two tranches: the first will be made in November 2021 and the second one in February 2021. Note that a failure to comply with any grant terms will result in the second payment being withheld.

Number of awards available

The AAMR is offering 10 PhD completion grants and 5 postdoctoral completion grants.

What can the grant be used for?

Although it is possible for funds to be used for research activities (e.g. follow-up interviews or checking in with research participants), a completion grant is not intended to cover substantial fieldwork costs. Its primary function is to support grantees to produce academic outputs (i.e. finalising their dissertation or writing journal articles).

Outputs and grant requirements

Recipients are required to produce a number of outputs as part of the grant agreement.

PhD students must submit the following by the conclusion of the grant:

  • 1 completed dissertation chapter or journal article
  • 1 blog post related to their PhD project
  • 1 funding report

Postdoctoral fellows must submit the following by the conclusion of the grant:

  • 2 completed book chapters or journal articles
  • 1 blog post related to the postdoctoral project
  • 1 funding report

In addition to the outputs listed above, grantees are required to attend 3 online capacity-building workshops during the course of the grant. These sessions are intended to support grantees during the writing process.

How to apply

Application forms and budget templates can be downloaded here or requested directly via aamr@migration.org.za. All applications must be accompanied by a letter of support from a supervisor/line manager/head of department/head of school, indicating that you have the endorsement of your institution and will be supported to complete your project.

Feedback will be provided to applicants no later than 2 weeks after the closing date.

Important dates

Applications must be submitted by 13 September 2021. Late applications will not be considered.

Responsibilities of the grant holder

Grantees will be responsible for the following:

  • Adhering to the AAMR code of conduct
  • Meeting all requirements listed in the grant agreement
  • Delivering all outputs as listed in the grant agreement
  • Managing expenses in accordance with the grant agreement
  • Completing a post-grant evaluation and report
  • Submitting all documentation by the dates listed in the grant agreement.

Reporting requirements

A narrative and financial report must be submitted for each and every completion grant. As well accounting for expenditure, grantees need to provide a summary of activities and how these have contributed towards AAMR’s objectives.

Application review process

Applications will be assessed by a review panel comprising representatives from the AAMR core partners. Reviewers will provide individual scores for each application, based on the criteria below:

  • The proposed work aligns with AAMR’s aims and objectives
  • The applicant can demonstrate how and why funds are going to be used
  • The applicant has considered further Covid risks and has a contingency plan in place
  • The application lists clear, measurable and relevant outputs
  • The application aligns with the AAMR’s commitment to an equitable distribution of resources.

Individual scores linked to the assessment criteria will be tallied into a combined grade. In cases where multiple applications are graded highly, the review panel will verbally discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each application until consensus is reached.

Questions or concerns should be sent to aamr@migration.org.za. It is highly recommended that queries are submitted well before the application closing date.

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Please note that the application process is now closed.

A PDF of this call for applications has also been published: Call for applications

The African Academy for Migration Research (AAMR) is committed to strengthening African migration scholarship at all levels (individual, institutional, national, regional and continental). To achieve this, the AAMR is hosting a series of thematic institutes on a variety of migration-related topics.

The AAMR is currently seeking applications from early career researchers (ERCs) working in the field of migration and health who wish to participate in an interactive virtual training.

The institute – which will take place from 23 to 30 November 2021 – will provide a platform for peer-learning and mentorship, while also supporting critical thinking and engagement. Participants are required to attend five virtual seminars as well as complete asynchronous learning activities (e.g. reading academic articles, watching pre-recorded videos and listening to podcasts).

The key objectives of the institute which feed into the broader aims of the AAMR include;

1.     To facilitate peer-learning through interactive engagements between participants from different research contexts

2.     To build capacity of participants (for example, by having senior scholars’ mentor emerging researchers

3.     To produce (popular) publications that can be shared on the AAMR’s learning and resource platform.

Applications to participate in the institute will be accepted until 30th September 2021 and are assessed competitively, based on the strength of a submission, its alignment with the specified requirements.

About the Migration and Health Institute

The Migration and Health institute will be the first of the four institutes to be hosted by the AAMR. This timely institute seeks to build the capacity of emerging scholars to apply not only innovative methodologies but also critical engagement with theories with the aim of producing empirically and historically rich; comprehensive and geographically broad analyses and cases studies of the processes of migration and health. The institute provides an opportunity for participants to join a global network of scholars challenging them to think beyond their local contexts by allowing comparative analyses across regions and beyond Africa.

 (refer to accompanying concept note for more details)

Requirements

·        Applicant must be an Early Career Researcher i.e. student or scholar at postgraduate level or an individual within 3 years of the award of their PhD.

·        Applicant should be a scholar who is normally resident in and affiliated with an African University (including those not affiliated with AAMR or ARUA).

·        Applicant should have a key interest in innovative methodology and critical engagement with theory as evidenced in the sample of writing.

·        Strong research potential preferably evidenced by publication(s)

·        One should have access to reliable internet to ensure connectivity. However, limited data grants will be offered at the stage of acceptance.

·        AAMR is committed to equitable participation and encourages applicants to actively include individuals who may be excluded from other training opportunities. As a minimum requirement, the AAMR strives for equal gender participation in all events.

·        Applications can come from any discipline (political science, urban studies, gender studies, sociology, anthropology, public health, etc.) as long as the overall focus is human mobility.

How to apply

Applicants need to provide;

·        recent curriculum vitae

·        cover letter demonstrating why you want to participate in this institute

·        reference letter from supervisor or institution indicating support and why this institute would be valuable to your work (reference letter to be send directly by the referee to the email address aamr@migration.org.za )

·        one sample of writing highlighting critical thinking

Documents to be submitted to the email address aamr@migration.org.za

Feedback will be provided to all applicants no later than 2 weeks after the closing date. Please note that late applications will not be considered.

Application review process

Every application will be assessed by a review panel, made up of representatives from AAMR core partners. Reviewers will provide individual scores for each application, based on the criteria above. Individual scores will then be tallied into a combined grade. In cases where multiple applications are graded highly, the review panel will verbally discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each application until consensus is reached.

About the AAMR

The AAMR is an initiative of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). It is being implemented and managed by the African Centre for Migration and Society (ACMS) at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. The ACMS is the ARUA Centre of Excellence for Migration and Mobility.

Currently, the AAMR has eight core partners:

·        Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique)

·        Makerere University (Uganda)

·        Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (Ethiopia)

·        University of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

·        University of Cape Town (South Africa)

·        University of Ghana (Ghana)

·        University of the Western Cape (South Africa)

·        University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa)

The AAMR has two overarching aims: (1) to build the research capacity of the next generation of African migration scholars (2) 
to support the professional development of the next generation of African migration scholars. These aims will be achieved through a series of activities, including regional thematic and professional development institutes, local workshops and individual research visits/exchanges. These events will be held across the continent to ensure an equitable distribution of resources and opportunities.

Additional information about the AAMR can be found at www.acms-aamr.org

Stay up to date with AAMR funding and training opportunities by following the #AAMR hashtag on Twitter and Facebook.

How to find out more

Questions or concerns should be sent to aamr@migration.org.za. If you have queries related to an application, you are encouraged to make contact well before the submission date.