Launched in 2012, the African Peacebuilding Network (APN) supports independent African research on conflict-affected countries and regions on the African continent, as well as the integration of evidence-based knowledge into scholarly discourses, and the practices of regional and global policy communities.

In order to advance African debates on peacebuilding and promote African perspectives, the APN offers competitive research grants annually, and is currently accepting grant proposals for the 2018 cycle.

Grant Descriptions

1. Individual Research Grants: Supports up to six months of innovative field-based research in order to produce knowledge that can impact practical actions on peacebuilding initiatives in Africa (Maximum support: $15,000).

A core component of the APN, the Individual Research Grant program is a vehicle for enhancing the quality and visibility of independent African peacebuilding research both regionally and globally, while making peacebuilding knowledge accessible to key policymakers and research centers of excellence in Africa and around the world. Grant recipients produce research-based knowledge that is relevant to, and has a significant impact on, peacebuilding scholarship, policy, and practice on the continent. For its part, the APN works toward inserting the evidence-based knowledge that grant recipients produce into regional and global debates and policies focusing on peacebuilding.

The individual research grants support research in topics such as:

• The root causes of conflict and conflict prevention;
• State and non-state armed actors, transnational crime, extremism, displacement, and emerging trajectories of conflict;
• Post-conflict elections, democratization, and governance;
• The relationship between peacebuilding and statebuilding, including state-society relations and state reconstruction;
• Transitional justice, reconciliation, and peace;
• The economic and financial dimensions of conflict, peacekeeping, and peace support operations;
• Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and peacebuilding;
• UN-AU-REC cooperation and Peace Support Operations;
• Digital media, technology, and peace;
• Gender and peacebuilding;
• Health, post-conflict development, peace, and security;
• The prevention of mass atrocities; and
• Cultures of peace.

2. Collaborative Working Group research grants: Supports joint multidisciplinary research teams involving scholars and practitioners at work on a collaboratively framed theme that can lead to direct impact on peacebuilding knowledge, policy, and practice (Maximum support: $60,000).

The Collaborative Working Group research grant responds to the need for collaboration and engagement between researchers and practitioners on peacebuilding challenges in Africa. It seeks to connect research to policy, promote the mentoring of junior scholars by senior colleagues, and have a significant impact on peacebuilding scholarship, policy, and practice on the African continent.

Collaborative working groups are expected to produce research-based knowledge and publications. For its part, the APN will work toward inserting the evidence-based knowledge that this group produces into regional and global debates and policies on peacebuilding.

The APN will support the working group in undertaking original, policy-relevant research that focuses on the design, implementation, and impact of peacebuilding mechanisms and processes in conflict-affected African countries and sub-regions. Support is available for research and analysis of issues such as the following:

The CWG research grant supports research on topics such as:

• Local peacebuilding cultures, mechanisms, and practices;
• Inequality, poverty, and conflict;
• UN-AU-African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) cooperation on peace and security issues;
• African Governance Architecture (AGA) and African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA);
• Women, peace, and security;
• Transnationalization, youth radicalization, and violence; and
• Farmer-herder conflicts.

3. Book manuscript completion grants: Supports APN alumni during the completion of a book manuscript based on their prior APN-supported research (Maximum support: $10,000).

The APN invites letters of interest from alumni and current grantees, to transform their APN projects or related peacebuilding research into publishable book manuscripts. Applicants are expected to have completed their APN projects by the time of application and show sufficient evidence that work on ongoing book manuscripts—either based on their former APN award or previous peacebuilding-related research—can be completed and submitted to a publisher within four to six months.

Eligibility

These awards are open to scholars and practitioners from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds, including those from multidisciplinary backgrounds. However, successful proposals will demonstrate a solid grasp of social science methods, tools, and literature, and be focused on an issue related to African peacebuilding.

Individuals who choose to apply for these programs must be based in African universities, regional organizations, government agencies or nongovernmental, media, or civil society organizations on the continent.

Additional information 

For more information and to access the application, visit our website. Detailed application instructions, eligibility restrictions, and terms of awards can be found by selecting the relevant grant programs.

The application deadline for all APN grants is January 5, 2018. In order to be considered, your application must be completed online, via our portal, and in SUBMITTED status no later than 11:59 pm (EST) on this date. References and language evaluations must also be submitted online by this deadline.

Contact Info:

Questions should be directed to the APN team at apn@ssrc.org, or by calling (+1) 718-517-3669