Applications are open for the British Council “Decolonising Digital” Fellowship 2021. The British Council, in partnership with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH) at the University of Edinburgh, has developed this bespoke fellowship opportunity for early-career researchers from Africa who are living and working on the continent.

The successful candidate will undertake a 7 month research fellowship based with IASH at the University of Edinburgh, starting in April 2021. During their fellowship, Fellows will work closely with British Council experts in the UK and Africa to refine and shape the direction of their research and its outputs. There will be further opportunities to share, disseminate and apply the findings of the research in collaboration with the British Council in Africa once the fellowship is completed.

Benefits

Fellows will receive:

• A stipend of £1,300 per month.
• A £1,000 travel grant and assistance with the UK visa application process and costs.

Eligibility

Open to early-career researchers who are citizens of any African country and resident on the continent.

In addition, applicants must have: 

• A research and/or professional background that relates to the core areas of British Council programming and strategic engagement: Culture and Creative Industries, Education, Inclusive Communities, and International Cultural Relations more broadly 
• An interest in and understanding of digital technologies and platforms and in debates around digital access and inclusivity 
• Experience of engaging non-academic audiences and stakeholders in research (e.g. through engagement with policy makers, practitioners, artists or broad public audiences) 
• Commitment to professional development and a clear understanding of how the fellowship will support this 
• Clear commitment to knowledge sharing and the development of best practice beyond the timeframe of the fellowship itself, based on the networks, insights and learnings developed through their research.

Application

To initiate the application process, submit the following documents to james.Perkins@britishcouncil.org by the deadline of 24:00 on January 10, 2021:

• research proposal (up to 3 pages max) 
• CV (up to 3 pages max)
• names, job titles and contact details of two referees who may be contacted by the British Council later in the application process.

 Your research proposal should:

• outline your motivation for applying and your interest in engaging with IASH and the British Council specifically
• detail how you intend to approach and develop the research theme for the fellowship and outline your initial ideas around potential research outputs
• explain how this complements your research interests, background and expertise and supports your professional development goals and future plans
• indicate any existing connections or experience of collaborating with IASH and/or the British Council.

For more information, see Fellowship Outline and visit British Council.