The Africa Fellows in Education Program(AFEP) aims to address the local capacity gap arising from the inability of individuals, institutions and governments to effectively use student outcome data to improve education policy in schools. AFEP addresses the challenge by supporting a local network of fellows with enhanced skills in evaluating existing educational research, developing and using performance data to make better decisions, and introducing rigorous evidence into the decision-making process

Local expert researchers will also form a constituency for expanding and improving assessment structures in their countries.AFEP therefore seeks to groom a group of Africa-based leaders capable of developing evidence and shaping educational policies relevant to their countries.

Structure of AFEP

The program is organized around a combination of in-country activities and network/training opportunities regionally and abroad.Under the two out-of-country segments, it is expected that the successful fellows will have the opportunity to attend two of the most prominent international conferences on the economics of education – the CESifo Economics of Education conference and the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) conference.

In addition to these conferences, the fellows will participate in a series of short courses designed to be most suitable to their needs, covering topics such as evaluation methods, communications, incentive structures, and other related areas while also allowing fellows to foster international connections. They will also be series of lectures of testing and performance measurement. The first two weeks are slated for September and November 2025,with the other two happening in March 2026.

Funding Information

The funding includes a $35k research grant. The program will also directly cover up to the $25k in expenses for mentorship, study visits, conference travel and in-country workshops to share research findings and training.

Eligibility

1. Be a national of a Sub-Saharan African country;
2. Have an MA or PhD degree, preferably in Economics, education policy, social/public policy, development studies or international development, with a strong focus on education. While a PhD is not mandatory, GEAI and PEP encourage fresh PhD graduates who can benefit from mentorship and additional training to become solid researchers;
3. Be proficient in quantitative data analysis, with a strong knowledge of data analysis software such as R and Stata;
4. Not be older than 35 years old;
5. Demonstrate interest in education policy research and analysis;
6. Work for the government or have an affiliation at either a research or higher education institution in a Sub-Saharan African country and intend to do so for the foreseeable future;
7. Qualified females are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application Process

1. A two-page statement of interest;
2. A two-page essay. The essay must be prepared in English. In this essay, the applicant must
   a. either think and write about a specific education problem in their home country and how it could be scientifically evaluated using quantitative methods.
   b. or write an essay responding to any of the questions under the five thematic areas of our partner institution, Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Africa (see attached thematic areas). Similarly, candidates must explain how such questions could be scientifically evaluated using quantitative or mixed (quantitative and qualitative) methods.
3. A detailed and updated CV with at least two (2) referees the selection committee can contact.

Click here to register and apply.

Deadline for submitting application

Applications should be submitted before April 30th,2025 at 23:59 GMT