ACADEMIC GRANTS AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS By Oyeniyi Okunoye

ACADEMIC GRANTS, AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS By Oyeniyi Okunoye Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife 1

INTRODUCTION This presentation aspires to: Ø underscore the necessity of sourcing funding and facilities for research; Ø broadly survey funding opportunities that are available to scholars in diverse fields; and Ø inspire participants to identify opportunities that best suit their needs and apply for them. 2

FACTS ABOUT ACADEMIC FUNDING a. It is an investment in promising and competent scholars; b. It facilitates the production of knowledge; c. It is proof of academic recognition and accomplishment; and d. promotes international mobility 3

SECURING ACADEMIC FUNDING It takes different things to win various forms of academic awards, depending on its purpose. The most important factors are: 1. INNOVATIVENESS 2. BORDER-CROSSING 3. SOCIAL-RESPONSIVENESS 4. GLOBAL NEEDS 5. QUALITY/VALUE OF PREVIOUS WORK 6. POTENTIAL FOR EXCELLENT RESEARCH 7. NEED 4

TYPES OF ACADEMIC FUNDING A: Travel Grants: support research-oriented trips and attendance at conferences B: Predoctoral Fellowships: Partly of fully support promising doctoral researches • C: Postdoctoral Fellowships: § to enable early career researchers ( 5 years after Ph. D) to build on their research beyond the award of degrees. D: Fellowships for Advanced Researchers: § (more competitive, awarded to established researchers, offer more resources, support collaborative projects E : Research Awards: (These are research grants for which awardees do not have to apply but are nominated for. ) 5

TRAVEL GRANTS a. TETFUND STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT SCHEME: https: //www. tetfund. gov. ng/index. php/programm es/ b. WARA TRAVEL GRANTS: https: //www. bu. edu/wara/fellowship/fund_trav el/ c: COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE GRANTS: https: //www. acu. ac. uk/scholarships/early-careerconference-grants/ d: AGNES MOBILITY FELLOWSHIP This is a fellowship for early career researchers in Africa who need to visit other institutions to use research facilities and work with a mentor. 6

PRE-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 1. TETFUND STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT GRANTS (Fully-funded training in leading universities abroad or locally, support for bench work doctoral researchers in universities abroad) https: //www. tetfund. gov. ng/#? Itemid=132 2. CODESRIA SMALL GRANTS FOR THESES WRITING: (established in 1988, award up to $3, 000 to be utilized within Africa) https: //www. codesria. org/ 3. NEXT GENERATION SOCIAL SCIENCES IN AFRICA: DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP ( SSRC, for young scholars in Nigeria and five other countries; 6 -12 months; USD 15, 000 supports research on peace, security and development) https: //www. ssrc. org/programs/view/nextgenafrica 4. COMMONWEALTH PHD SHOLARSHIPS http: //cscuk. dfid. gov. uk/apply/phd-scholarships-low-middle-incomecountries/ 7

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS 1. TETFUND INSTITUTION-BASED RESEARCH: https: //www. tetfund. gov. ng/ (Funds a research up to two million naira for confirmed academic staff members of public universities in Nigeria) 2. NEWTON INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP https: //www. thebritishacademy. ac. uk/newton-international-fellowships Administered by the British Academy, open to scholars from all disciplines whose Ph. Ds are not older than 7 years. Lasts two years, worth £ 48, 000 plus £ 2, 000 mobility grant and £ 8, 000 allowance for conferences and equipment. ) 3. AGNES (AFRICAN-GERMAN NETWORK IN EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE) FELLOWSHIP (This is an award that is given to postgraduate researchers who are planning to apply for the Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship. It is worth 1000 Euro and is for one year) 4. DAAD POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS: https: //www. daad. de/go/en/stipa 57191484/ 5. ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT/GEORG FORSTER POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS: https: //www. humboldt-foundation. de/web/programmes. html ( 6 -24 months. For those whose Ph. Ds are not older than four years. Administered by the Humboldt Foundation in Germany. They are among the best fellowships in the world in the sense that they establish an enduring relationship with awardees in addition to being very generous. Applications are made in consultation with a host in German institution. 8

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS (Contd. ) 7. CODESRIA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP ( fellowship for postdoctoral research worth $15, 000) 8. POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP OF THE AFRICAN HUMANITIES PROGRAM (ACLS program involving African scholars; supports postdoctoral research for a year; $17, 000 +$1, 000 +research residency) 9

ADVANCED RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS 1. ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT/GEORG FORSTER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP FOR EXPERIENCED RESEARCHERS/ (for researchers with an established profiles whose Ph. Ds are older than four years). The initial residency can last one and a half years and subsequent visits every three years can last three months. ) 3. TETFUND NATIONAL RESEARCH FUND (For lecturers in Nigerian public universities, accommodates collaborative research and funds researches up to a maximum of 50 million naira. Applications are to be made on prescribed forms and research priorities in each discipline is spelt out in the guidelines for the fund. ) 10

WHY SOME APPLICATIONS FAIL Not all applications succeed. These are some of the reasons some fail: 1. Mismatch between proposal and priority of funders—irrelevance. 2. Poor quality of proposal 3. Lack of currency and competitive edge 4. Budgetary constraints of funders 5. Non-compliance with deadlines 6. Inadequate international exposure of applicants 11

RESEARCH AWARDS HUMBOLDT RESEARCH AWARDS: Humboldt Research Awards; Georg Forster Research Award; Wilhelm Basel Award research awards administered by the Humboldt Foundation; Awardees do not apply for them but are nominated by colleagues who recognize their outstanding contributions to knowledge. The awards are normally utilized in German institutions over a period of a year. The value of the awards start from 60, 000 Euros. 12

CONCLUSION: a. Those who have won small grants and awards always stand a better chance of winning more prestigious ones. b. Academic awards, grants and fellowships are international proofs of academic influence, recognition and mobility. c: Only those who apply for fellowships, grants and awards can win them. 13

RELEVANT FUNDING AGENCIES 1. The British Academy: https: //www. thebritishacademy. ac. uk/ 2. The Ford Foundation: https: //www. fordfoundation. org/ 3. Association of African Universities: https: //www. aau. org/programmes-and-services/current-projects/small-grants-for-dissertations-and-thesesprogramme/ 4. Fulbright Program https: //foreign. fulbrightonline. org/ 5. DAAD ( German Academic Exchange Service https: //www. daad. de/en/ 6. Commonwealth Scholarships http: //cscuk. dfid. gov. uk/apply/phd-scholarships-low-middle-income-countries/ 14

RELEVANT FUNDING AGENCIES (2) 7. The World Academy of Sciences https: //twas. org/opportunities/visiting-scientist 8. The Ford Foundation https: //www. fordfoundation. org/work/challenging-inequality/gender-racial-and-ethnic-justice/ 9. University of Cambridge https: //www. african. cam. ac. uk/research/travel/Fellowship 10. School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London https: //www. soas. ac. uk/cas/sponsorship/leventis/ 11. CODESRIA https: //www. codesria. org/spip. php? article 2832 12. National Institutes of Health https: //www. nih. gov/ 15

RELEVANT FUNDING AGENCIES (3) 13. Medical Research Council https: //mrc. ukri. org/ 14. Welcome Trust https: //wellcome. ac. uk/ 15. Qatar National Research Fund https: //www. qnrf. org/en-us/ 16. Social Science Research Council https: //www. ssrc. org/ 17. Netherlands Institute of Advanced Study https: //nias. knaw. nl/ 18. The Rockefeller Foundation https: //www. rockefellerfoundation. org/our-work/bellagio-center/ 16

RELEVANT FUNDING AGENCIES (4) 19. Mc Arthur Foundation https: //www. macfound. org/ 20. Andrew Mellon Foundation https: //mellon. org/grants/ 17