Deadline: 06-Mar-2026
The Code for Africa African Academy for Open Source Investigation (AAOSI) Fellowship mentors journalists in select African countries to strengthen democratic accountability and counter information manipulation.
The four-month fellowship in 2026 provides hands-on OSINT and social media intelligence training, mentorship, stipends, and publishing support.
Selected fellows will produce two evidence-based investigative reports while contributing to a pan-African network of open-source investigators.
Programme Overview
Code for Africa (CfA) is offering six African Academy for Open Source Investigation (AAOSI) Fellowships to support and mentor journalists working in investigative media and watchdog civil society organisations across selected African countries.
The fellowship is designed to strengthen investigative journalism by equipping participants with advanced open-source intelligence (OSINT) and social media intelligence (SOCMINT) skills, enabling evidence-driven reporting that improves information integrity and democratic accountability.
Focus Areas
The AAOSI Fellowship focuses on addressing critical challenges affecting democratic discourse and digital spaces in Africa.
Key thematic areas include fostering democratic accountability, strengthening the digital resilience and security of pro-democracy civil society actors, safeguarding the responsible use of digital technologies, amplifying youth voices and civic engagement in secure online environments, and tackling information manipulation and interference.
The programme also targets disinformation campaigns, coordinated inauthentic behaviour, hate speech, online harassment, propaganda, and the weaponisation of artificial intelligence to distort information ecosystems.
Fellowship Objectives
The fellowship aims to build investigative capacity by enabling journalists to conduct rigorous forensic analysis using open-source and social media data.
Through this approach, fellows will be able to counter disinformation, expose harmful narratives, and improve digital security practices within their organisations.
A key objective is to strengthen collaboration across borders by building a pan-African network of OSINT investigators capable of working together on transnational investigations.
Implementing Partners
The AAOSI Fellowship is a joint initiative between Code for Africa’s CivicSignal AI and machine-learning team, the iLAB forensic research team, and the PesaCheck fact-checking team.
These teams collectively provide technical expertise, investigative mentorship, and publishing support to ensure high-quality, impactful outputs.
Fellowship Structure and Support
The second cohort of the AAOSI Fellowship will run for four months in 2026.
Selected fellows will receive a monthly stipend, intensive hands-on technical training, one-on-one project mentorship, publishing support on local and international platforms, and amplification support to expand the reach of their investigations.
Each fellow is required to produce two evidence-driven investigative reports during the fellowship period.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be based in one of the target African countries.
They must have a minimum of one year of journalism experience, with preference given to candidates working in investigative or data journalism.
Applicants are required to provide evidence of recently published work and must be affiliated with a media house, digital outlet, or relevant organisation where fellowship outputs will be published.
Fluency in English or French is required, along with a commitment to attend regular online training and mentorship sessions and to share acquired skills within their organisations.
Women and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Application Deadline
All applications must be submitted by Friday, 06 March 2026.
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the duration of the AAOSI Fellowship?
The fellowship runs for four months in 2026.
2. How many fellows will be selected?
A total of six fellows will be selected across eligible African countries.
3. What type of support do fellows receive?
Fellows receive a monthly stipend, technical OSINT and SOCMINT training, mentorship, publishing support, and audience amplification.
4. Are fellows required to publish work during the programme?
Yes. Each fellow must produce two evidence-driven investigative reports during the fellowship period.
5. Who is eligible to apply?
Journalists based in target African countries with at least one year of experience, recent published work, and affiliation with a media or watchdog organisation are eligible.
6. What languages are accepted for the fellowship?
Applicants must be fluent in either English or French.
7. Are women encouraged to apply?
Yes. Women and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Conclusion
The Code for Africa AAOSI Fellowship 2026 offers a unique opportunity for journalists to deepen their investigative skills, counter disinformation, and contribute to stronger democratic accountability across Africa.
By combining technical training, mentorship, and cross-border collaboration, the programme strengthens both individual capacity and the broader investigative journalism ecosystem on the continent.
For more information, visit Code for Africa.
