About Organisation
The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) is an independent, international, nonprofit organization with a distinguished history dating back to its founding in 1923. For over a century, the Council has maintained its commitment to advancing social science research and scholarship across global contexts, establishing itself as a leading institution in the field.
The SSRC’s mission encompasses multiple interconnected objectives that strengthen the social sciences worldwide. The organization fosters innovative research approaches that push disciplinary boundaries and generate new insights into complex social phenomena. Through its various programs, the Council nurtures new generations of social scientists, providing critical support and development opportunities for emerging scholars who will shape future research agendas.
The organization works to deepen how inquiry is practiced both within individual disciplines and across disciplinary boundaries, recognizing that many contemporary challenges require interdisciplinary approaches. The SSRC plays a vital role in mobilizing necessary knowledge on important public issues, ensuring that social science research informs policy discussions and public understanding.
Through its fellowship programs and scholarly initiatives, the SSRC creates networks of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who collaborate to address pressing social, political, and economic challenges. The organization’s international scope reflects its understanding that social science knowledge production benefits from diverse perspectives and contexts, particularly from regions historically underrepresented in global scholarly conversations.
About the Grant
The African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) Program offers Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowships designed to support PhD degree completion and promote the next generation of social science research in six African countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. These fellowships specifically support scholars developing dissertation proposals focused on Peacebuilding, Governance, and Developmental Dynamics.
The fellowship targets two categories of scholars: PhD students actively working on developing doctoral dissertation proposals, and recent master’s degree graduates seeking to enroll in PhD programs. Selected fellows receive up to three thousand US dollars to cover short-term research costs necessary for proposal development over a six-month commitment period.
The program emphasizes thought leadership, expecting fellows to produce proposals with significant impact on peacebuilding, security, and development scholarship relevant to regional and global scholarly debates. Fellows participate in two mandatory APDD workshops held in July and January across different African regions, designed to help refine research questions, match appropriate methods to questions, engage key literature, and finalize doctoral research proposals.
Additional program components include contributing to APDD’s digital platforms (Kujenga Amani, Facebook, and X), receiving mentorship from experienced senior scholars, engaging in peer-to-peer learning and collaboration, and joining a network of highly visible African scholars projecting African perspectives onto global discourses in peacebuilding, security, and development.
Who can Apply?
All applicants must satisfy three essential eligibility criteria to qualify for the Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship. First, candidates must be both citizens and residents of an African country, ensuring the program supports scholars based on the continent and contributing to African knowledge production.
Second, applicants must be enrolled in a PhD program at an accredited university or be prepared to enroll by the time of the award. Additionally, they must be affiliated with an institution located in one of six target countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda. This geographic focus ensures the program builds research capacity within these specific African contexts while maintaining flexibility for scholars enrolled in various institutions.
Third, all applicants must hold a master’s degree at the time of application. This requirement ensures candidates possess foundational research training and are prepared to undertake doctoral-level research proposal development. The program accommodates both currently enrolled PhD students working on dissertation proposals and recent master’s graduates planning to pursue doctoral studies.
Selected fellows commit to six months of intensive proposal development, mandatory participation in two APDD workshops (July and January), contribution to APDD’s digital platforms, and engagement with the program’s mentorship and networking opportunities. The fellowship particularly seeks scholars whose research will contribute evidence-based knowledge to peacebuilding, governance, and developmental dynamics scholarship relevant to African contexts and global scholarly conversations.
How to Apply?
Interested candidates meeting all eligibility requirements should submit applications through the Social Science Research Council’s online application system. The application portal provides detailed instructions, required documentation, and submission guidelines. Applicants should carefully review all requirements and prepare materials demonstrating their research interests in peacebuilding, governance, and developmental dynamics. Complete applications must be submitted by the January 16, 2026 deadline.
Application Deadline
The application deadline for the APDD Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship is January 16, 2026. All required application materials must be submitted through the SSRC’s online portal by this date.
Last Date To Apply
For more information, please visit the grant website here.
