Partnership funding

There are a variety of ways in which research funding can cover the support of partnerships between researchers in African and in UK universities. In addition, however, a number of funding agencies are establishing funding mechanisms specifically for such links or partnerships.

The British Academy is contemplating a scheme, provisionally entitled, ‘UK-Africa Academic Partnerships’ (keep a watch on their website), in addition to their existing Visiting Fellowships programme.

The British Academy
The British Council ‘Links Programme’ has been recently reviewed and is to be relaunched in 2006 as ‘British Council/DFID Development Partnerships in Higher Education.

The British Council
The Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Association of African Universities, through the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission provide funding for scholars and their visits and links around the Commonwealth. They are currently considering a new programme allowing for the development of a ‘hybrid career’ structure for academics involving periods in UK (or other Commonwealth) universities and periods in home universities elsewhere. Keep a watch on their website for further developments:

The Association of Commonwealth Universities
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom supports around 700 scholarships and fellowships for Commonwealth citizens annually. Awards are funded by the Department for International Development in conjunction with UK universities.

Commonwealth Scholarship Commission
The Association of Commonwealth Universities is currently considering a new form of early career fellowship programme, involving periods in UK (or other Commonwealth) universities and periods in home universities over a period of several years. Universities interested in working with the ACU to develop this are invited to contact them.

Cadbury Fellowships at the Centre of West African Studies, University of Birmingham

African Studies Visiting Research Fellowships at the Centre of African Studies, University of Cambridge

Leventis Fellowships (Nigeria), and East African Visiting Fellowships at the Centre of African Studies, University of London, SOAS.

Other Centres of African Studies at Oxford and Edinburgh have programmes that involve visitors from African universities funded through a variety of initiatives.