The Social Science Research Council’s Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa program is pleased to announce the forty-four fellows receiving the Post-Doctoral Writing Fellowship, the Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship, the Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship, and the Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship. This year’s fellows are from Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

The Next Gen program supports tertiary education in Africa by awarding a sequence of four fellowship opportunities for promising PhD students to do research and make steady progress toward completion of their doctoral degrees. The dissertation-based writing fellowship is exclusive to Next Gen alumni.

The 44 fellows listed below are working on a range of topics relating to peace, security, development, politics and governance, gender and youth, land and climate change, mental health, and media and cultural studies.

Here is the complete list of Next Generation Social Science in Africa 2020 fellows:

Post-Doctoral Writing Fellowship

The post-doctoral writing fellowship supports up to six months of completing an article or book manuscript through a stipend of up to US$3,000. It will enable the recipient to buy time off from teaching and administrative duties to focus exclusively on finalizing an article for a peer-reviewed journal or completing a book manuscript based on a Next Gen-supported doctoral dissertation that advances research on peace, security, and development. This fellowship is exclusively available for Next Gen alumni.

This year’s Post-Doctoral Writing Fellows are as follows:

  • Catherine Akurut, “Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Against Males: Recognition by And Responses of Humanitarian Organisations in Africa,” Nelson Mandela University, South Africa
  • Olugbenga Samuel Falase, “Post-Colonial Politics of Forest Governance in South-Western Nigeria,” Lead City University, Nigeria
  • Irene Doosuur Mngutyo, “Interrogating access to public space for peace, security and development of African cities,” Benue State University, Nigeria
  • Yahya Sseremba, “Ethnic emancipation and the escalation of ethnic conflicts in Uganda,” Makerere University, Uganda
  • Verdiana Tindichebwa Tilumanywa, “Implications of land use change on communities’ livelihoods in the mount Rungwe Ecosystem, Tanzania,” University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship

The doctoral dissertation completion fellowship supports a one-year leave from teaching and administrative responsibilities through a stipend up to US$10,000 to permit the completion of a dissertation that advances research on peace, security, and development topics.

This year’s Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellows are as follows:

  • Sani Yakubu Adam, “Urban History of the Islamic Book Market in Kano, Northern Nigeria,” University of Cape Town, South Africa
  • Joseph Geng Akech, “Foreign influence and the legitimacy of constitution building in South Sudan,” University of Pretoria, South Africa
  • Elizabeth Modupe Animashaun, “Commercial Sex Work and Gender Based Violence at Border Communities Along Nigeria-Benin Republic,” University of Ibadan, South Africa
  • Sabina Appiah-Boateng, “Land-Use Conflicts and Psychosocial Well-Being: A Study of Farmer-Herder Conflict in Asante Akyem North District of Ghana,” University of Cape Coast, Ghana
  • Abudul Mahajubu, “Fluid Identity, Contested Citizenship and the Survival of the Nubi Ethnic Minority in Uganda,” Makerere University, Uganda
  • Anselmo Marcos Matusse, “Living with Mount Mabo: Povoados and nature conservation in threatened worlds,” University of Cape Town, South Africa
  • Nasser Ahmedin Mohammed, “Myth, Memory and Identity: Re-inventing Tigray as the new Significant Other of Eritrea (1998-2000),” Makerere University, Uganda
  • Kgomotso Samuel Moshugi, “Trans-nationalisation and Indigenisation of Euro-American Hymns in South Africa,” University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
  • Cletus Moyo, “Theatre as Grieving: A Theatrical Response to the Matabeleland and Midlands Genocide of the 1980s in Zimbabwe (a.k.a. Gukurahundi),” University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
  • Florence Ncube, “Navigating Exile: Rwandan army deserters in South Africa,” University of the Western Cape, South Africa
  • Patrick Lugwiri Okombo, “A Citizen Sociolinguistics Appraisal of Kiswahili as a Tool for Social Integration in the East African Community,” Makerere University, Uganda
  • Zaid Sekito, “A Historical Perspective of the Dynamics of Terrorism in Uganda, 1976 – 2015,” Makerere University, Uganda
  • Jacob Tagarirofa, “Posthuman Security and Landmines: Gendered Meaning-making and Materialities in the North-Eastern Border Area of Zimbabwe,” University of the Free State, South Africa
  • Rosette Sifa Vuninga, “Baswahili and Bato ya Mangala: Regionalism and Congolese diasporic identity in the post-Mobutu era (1997-2018),” University of the Western Cape, South Africa
  • Muema Wambua, “The Re-Entry Phenomenon in International Interventions: The Case of Kenya, 2008-2017,” United States International University-Africa, Kenya

Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship

The doctoral dissertation research fellowship supports 6-12 months of dissertation research costs of up to US$15,000 on a topic related to peace, security, and development.

This year’s Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellows are as follows:

  • Olufisayo Temitope Ajala, “Women and Insurgency: Coping and Social Support Strategies of Terror-Widowed Wives of Nigerian Army Combatants in The War Against Boko Haram,” Stellenbosch University, South Africa
  • Hafsa Ibrahim Ali, “’Making of the jihadi brides: Muslim women involvement in radicalisation and terror-activities in Mandera County, Kenya,” Egerton University, Uganda
  • Lydia Amoah, “Queen mothers and conflict resolution among the Akan of Ghana: a study of the Asantehemaa’s court in Kumasi, Ghana,” University of Ghana, Ghana
  • Tamuka Chekero, “Mobility, Space and Urbanism: The study of practices and relationships among migrants from African countries in Cape Town, South Africa,” University of Cape Town, South Africa
  • Flora Ngailonga Hasunga, “Contribution of Customary Land Titles on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment in Tanzania: A Case Study of Mbozi District, Songwe Region,” The Open University of Tanzania, Tanzania
  • Yosef Sintayehu Jemberie, “The Making of State of Emergency: A Historical Critique of Modern Political Power in Ethiopia,” Makerere University, Uganda
  • Joseph Kimaru Karanja, “Concepts of Justice and Adoption of State Judicial Safeguards within Somali Adjudication Processes in Garissa County (2010-2019) Kenya,” Kenyatta University, Kenya
  • Ridwan Abiola Kolawole, “Exploratory Analysis of Identity Construction in Nigerian Media Framing of Farmer-Herder Conflict in North Central Nigeria,” University of Ibadan, Nigeria
  • Susan Wangui Kung’u, “Portrayal of Gender Based Violence in Selected Locally Produced Soap Operas in Kenya,” University of Nairobi, Kenya
  • Edmond Madhuha, “The persistent health burden: understanding black South African working-class men’s experiences of living with tuberculosis,” University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
  • Nkululeko Majozi, “The ‘Saint’ and the ‘Monster’: A Decolonial Comparative Study of Nelson Mandela and Robert Mugabe,” University of South Africa, South Africa
  • Oluwatosin Samuel Orimolade, “People and State: A Genealogy of the Political Constitution of the Nigerian State,” Makerere University, Uganda
  • Jacqueline Owigo, “Return and (Re) integration in Fragile contexts: A Case Study of Somali returnees,” United States International University-Africa, Kenya
  • Ntokozo Sibahle Yingwana, “Queering Sex Work and Mobility in southern Africa: how does migration/mobility/movement influence gendered sexualities in sex work?” University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

 Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship

Doctoral dissertation proposal fellowships support PhD students working on developing a doctoral dissertation research proposal as well as students who recently completed a master’s degree and seek to enroll in a PhD program. The fellowships support short-term research costs of up to US$3,000 to develop a doctoral dissertation proposal.

This year’s Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellows are as follows:

  • Samson Confidence Agbelengor, “A comparative analysis of the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture and the Ghanaian Peace Architecture under the Fourth Republican Constitution,” University of Ghana, Ghana
  • Efetobor Setephanie Effevottu, “The Catholic Church and Peacebuilding in Post-Civil War Nigeria, 1970-2015,” University of Ibadan, Nigeria
  • Asher Gamedze, “Yu Chi Chan Club and the National Liberation Front: a history of study and struggle in the underground,” University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
  • Eminata Kamogo, “An assessment of the efficiency of flood risk reduction strategies in Kigogo, Kinondoni Dar es salaam,” University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
  • Gaaki Kigambo, “Mediating Contentious Politics in Hybrid Regimes: Press Coverage of Political Protests in Uganda,” University of Cape Town, South Africa
  • Mandipa Goitsemang Machacha, “Gender, Migration and the Law: a Socio-legal Analysis of the Laws and Policies which Regulate Migrant Zimbabwean Women who Work in Botswana’s Informal Economy,” University of Pretoria, South Africa
  • Rose George Mbezi, “Women’s Access to Land in the Context of Neoliberalism in Rural Tanzania. A case study of Rufiji District, Coastal Region in Tanzania,” University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
  • Tracey Muradzikwa, “State law and women in chieftaincy succession crisis. Case of Nswazi village, Zimbabwe,” University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
  • William Musamba, “Sub-ethnic Identities and Political Conflict in Uganda: The Case of Busoga (1900-1967),” Makerere University, Uganda
  • Chukwuma Otum Ume, “Assessing the determinants and dynamics for conflict resolution and peaceful coexistence among farmers and pastoralists: Political ecology approach,” University of Nigeria, Nigeria

 Warm congratulations to this year’s Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa fellows. Next Gen looks forward to working with you and seeing the results of your promising research.

If you are interested in applying for a fellowship award from Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa, the next call for applications for the 2021 grant cycle will be released in November of this year. Applications will be accepted from November 2020 through February 2021.

The Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa program is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York.