The Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), University of Ghana, Accra, is organising a 5-day writing workshop, aimed at providing early-career African researchers working on the themes of peace, democracy, and climate change with the space and intellectual community they need to turn a draft paper into a publishable journal piece.
The workshop is intended to give early career scholars the opportunity to contribute to knowledge production in one of the workshop’s three research foci: peace, democracy, and climate change.
Objectives
- 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.
Programme
The 5-day programme will be organised as a writing retreat, with daily seminars and writing sessions. The seminars will include practical guidance on academic writing and publishing in high-quality journals, while the writing sessions will be supported by academic mentors and editors with research interests in 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.
Eligibility
Applications are welcomed from 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 till 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).
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 Ph.D. award certificate.
- Applications are to be filled out using the following link: https://forms.gle/nVgxaFHQLZ3NXHuL8
- Abstracts/Research Paper/CVs/Certificates should be sent in pdf format to email: miasawritingschool@ug.edu.gh
- Submission deadline: January 20, 2023
- Any enquiries should be directed to miasawritingschool@ug.edu.gh
Selection
Applications will be assessed and selected through a strictly merit-based procedure. The main selection criteria are:
- A Ph.D. 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.
The workshop is organised in collaboration with ZIAF/University of Frankfurt, Germany and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research through the Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), University of Ghana, Legon.
Source: https://bit.ly/3vQZLgd
