Deadline: 04-Jul-2025
The African Population and Health Research Center is excited to announce a short-term fellowship program to empower African policy actors in leveraging evidence for informed policymaking.
This initiative aims to bridge the gap between research evidence and its practical application in the policy-making processes and decisions, fostering impactful change across the continent.
Focus Areas
- Each team’s application should focus on existing evidence related to at least one of the following areas:
- Nutrition and Food Systems
- Early Childhood Development
- Sexual, Reproductive, and Adolescent Health
- Chronic Diseases
- Aging population in Africa
- Urbanization and Sustainability
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
- Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health
- Education and Youth Empowerment
- Mental Health
- Marginal populations such as those living in informal settlements, refuges, humanitarian settings
- Emerging and Re-emerging infectious diseases
- Health Systems
- Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Benefits
- The fellowship will offer the following:
- Policy engagement support: A competitive prize of between USD 1,000- USD 2,000 will be awarded to support national-level dialogues and policy engagement with relevant stakeholders to promote the adoption of the developed policy brief(s).
- Enhanced skills: Advanced knowledge in research uptake, evidence synthesis, and policy engagement.
- Mentorship: Expert guidance in developing high-impact policy briefs.
- Networking: Opportunities to connect with peers and policymakers across Africa.
- Dissemination platform: An opportunity to present the policy briefs to key stakeholders.
Program Specifications
- APHRC invites teams of policy actors from East African countries to apply for a 2-month fellowship starting in August 2025. By policy actors, they refer to any individual or group that is directly or indirectly, formally or informally, affiliated with or affected by the policy-making process at any stage. These can include governments, businesses, non-governmental organisations, civil society organizations, communities, and individuals. The Fellowship is designed to enhance participants’ skills in evidence-informed policymaking through a structured, multi-phase approach, which includes the following phases:
- Virtual kick-off session (August 6, 2025, 9 am-11 am EAT): An online orientation, discussion and framing policy-relevant topics, contextual understanding, setting expectations and deliverables, networking and their previous policy experience sharing, and their understanding on evidence informed policy making.
- In-person capacity-building workshop (August 13-15, 2025 8 am-5 pm EAT): A hands-on training session covering modules on foundation of policymaking, understanding policy process/cycle, evidence synthesis and evidence use, stakeholder mapping and analysis, developing policy briefs, introduction to advocacy, effective communication, and engaging policymakers.
- Policy brief development (I hour virtual contact per week per team): Participants will develop policy briefs with virtual mentorship and support from experts. Participants are expected to produce at least one high-quality policy brief by the end of the fellowship.
- In-Person dissemination & learning workshop (September 15, 2025, 8 am-5 pm EAT): A final convening to present and discuss policy briefs with stakeholders.
Eligibility Criteria
- The APHRC Advocacy for Evidence-Informed Policy Making Fellowship invites country teams of 3-5 fellows from African countries. Individual applications will not be accepted. While teams may consist of up to 5 individuals, only three will be supported to attend the initial in-person training, and one member (preferably the team lead) will be invited to the final convening session. Each team should comprise a diverse mix of policy actors with varied expertise, as outlined below:
- At least one policymaker: Policymakers are individuals or groups who develop and implement policies, which are essentially plans or actions taken by national or sub-national governments. Examples include national and/or sub-national leaders like ministers, local representatives like senators, community leaders such as mayors, city council members, district council members, etc.
- At least one researcher or technical personnel: Professionals working in academia, research institutions, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, etc.
- Program personnel, practitioners and CSOs: Individuals who generate and use evidence in relevant thematic fields.
- Eligibility requirements:
- Teams must have access to existing evidence (e.g., publications, technical reports, strategic plans, or preliminary reports) to inform the development of policy briefs. Primary data collection and analysis are not possible due to the fellowship’s short duration.
- Each team is expected to produce at least one policy brief during the fellowship.
- Applicants must demonstrate the ability to commit to the fellowship’s timeline and activities.
Application Requirements
- Cover Sheet: Include team details (names, roles, and contact information).
- Motivation statement (1page max, single-space): Describe your team’s motivation for applying, interest for the program, experience in using research evidence for policymaking or collaborating with policymakers, and ability to commit to the fellowship’s timeline while managing current responsibilities.
- Curriculum Vitae (2 pages max per team member): Highlight relevant experience and expertise related to thematic areas you are applying for.
- Supporting material (1 resource): List the existing evidence (e.g., publications, technical reports, strategic plans, or preliminary reports that will be used for development of an appropriate policy brief.
- Letter of support: A letter from a relevant authority at your institution confirming support and your availability to participate in all fellowship activities, including the online and in-person workshops.
For more information, visit APHRC.