Call for Applications: MIASA Writing Workshop 2023 for Early-career Researchers (Funded)

Deadline: January 20, 2023

Applications for the MIASA Writing Workshop 2023 are now open. The Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA) seeks to provide Africa-based early career researchers working on the themes of peace, democracy and climate change on the continent with the space and intellectual community to transform a draft paper into a publishable journal piece.

The 5-day writing workshop is designed to provide early career scholars with the opportunity to contribute to knowledge production in one of the three fields of research focus for this workshop: peace, democracy and climate change. The workshop will hold from April 25-29, 2023 at the University of Ghana, Accra.

The objectives of the workshop are:

• To strengthen the academic writing skills of African early career scholars, with particular attention to female scholars,
• To enhance the success rate of early career African scholars’ submissions to high quality journals,
• To build a network of Africa-based scholars working on the themes of peace, democracy and climate change.

Funding

• Successful applicants will be provided with funding to cover travel expenses to Ghana from Sub-Saharan Africa along with accommodation and subsistence costs for the duration of the workshop. If the ongoing pandemic will make an in-person workshop impossible, the writing retreat will be organised virtually instead.

Eligibility

Open to early career researchers who meet the following eligibility criteria:

• A doctorate which was awarded within 5 years of the application deadline, i.e. doctoral certificate awarded after January 2018 to date;
• Employed at a recognised university or research institute in Sub-Saharan Africa;
• Fluency in written and spoken English (there will be no translation services provided).

Selection Criteria

Applications will be assessed and selected through a strictly merit-based procedure. The main selection criteria are:

• A PhD certificate granted between January 2018 and January 2023
• Employment at a university or research institute on the African continent 
• Excellence, relevance and originality of the draft research paper
• Fit of the research with the themes of peace, democracy and climate change

Application

The application should include the following: 

• a motivation letter (1-page maximum) outlining reasons for wishing to attend the writing workshop and the benefits to be gained
• a draft research paper (5,000-8,000 words in English) that contains original data and preliminary data analysis in the areas of peace, democracy and climate change, and which is aimed at journal submission
• an abstract of the paper (max. 500 words)
• a full CV
• a PhD award certificate

Applications should be filled here. Abstracts/Research Paper/CVs/Certificates should be sent in pdf format to email: miasawritingschool@ug.edu.gh

For more information, visit MIASA Writing Workshop.