Future Leaders African Independent Researchers (FLAIR) Fellowships

Future Leaders – African Independent Researchers (FLAIR) Fellowships are for talented African early career researchers who have the potential to become leaders in their field. These fellowships provide the opportunity to build an independent research career in a sub-Saharan African institution and to undertake cutting-edge scientific research that will address global challenges facing developing countries.

Each FLAIR Fellowship will be for two years initially and will offer up to £150,000 per year, alongside a programme of support to develop fellows as independent research leaders including training and mentoring, and opportunities to network both regionally and with the UK and to develop international collaborations.

This is a partnership between the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the Royal Society, supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).

Am I eligible to apply?
Applications should be within the remit of natural sciences. This includes physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, engineering, agricultural, biological and medical research (excluding clinical and patient-orientated research), and the scientific aspects of archaeology, geography and experimental psychology but excluding economics, social science and humanities research.

You can apply for this scheme if you:

• Are a national of a sub-Saharan African country and wish to work in a sub-Saharan African country in a research position, or a national of a sub-Saharan African country in the diaspora and wish to return to a sub-
• Saharan African research position.
• Hold a PhD by the time you apply.
• Are an early career researcher and have no more than 10 years of research experience since completing your PhD by the time of application. Where applicants have taken formal periods of maternity, paternity, adoptive leave of extended sick leave, assessment will not only take into account the actual period of leave take (e.g. three months), but will also allow an additional six months for each period of leave (e.g. three months plus six months = nine months) when assessing research experience eligibility.
• Wish to hold the fellowship in a research institution in an ODA eligible sub-Saharan African country. Please see the scheme notes for a full list of eligible host countries.
• Have a clearly defined scientific research proposal focusing on one or more of the Global Challenge areas outlined in the scheme notes.
• Applicants are not permitted to submit more than one application per round.

For more information visit here.