African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) Fellowships: Research Funding, Doctoral Support, and Policy Opportunities

The African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) program offers research and academic development opportunities for scholars, doctoral students, and practitioners working on peacebuilding, development, governance, and state-society relations in Africa. The program focuses on strengthening research capacity, supporting independent scholarship, and connecting academic research with practical policy solutions that address challenges affecting African societies.

Through a range of research and doctoral fellowships, APDD supports individuals at different stages of their academic and professional careers. Its opportunities include funding and structured support for independent research, policy-oriented research placements, doctoral dissertation proposal development, fieldwork and data collection, and dissertation completion.

The program is designed to encourage innovative research and produce knowledge that can contribute to peacebuilding policies, institutional development, and more effective relationships between governments and societies. Depending on the fellowship, eligible applicants may receive support for several months or up to one year to concentrate on research, develop their academic work, gain policy experience, or complete their doctoral studies.

The APDD program provides several distinct fellowship opportunities, each serving a particular research or career-development purpose. Applicants should carefully review the eligibility requirements of the individual fellowship before preparing an application.

What Is the African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) Program?

African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics is a program hosted by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC). It responds to emerging transformations in peacebuilding, developmental dynamics, and state-society relations through research, training, academic fellowships, conferences, seminars, and outreach activities.

The program recognizes that sustainable peace and development require a deeper understanding of political institutions, social relationships, governance structures, conflict dynamics, and the policies that influence communities across Africa. It therefore supports researchers and practitioners who can investigate these issues and generate findings that are relevant to academic scholarship and real-world decision-making.

APDD’s approach combines research development with capacity-building. Rather than focusing exclusively on academic publications, its fellowship opportunities also encourage researchers to connect their findings with policy debates, institutional practices, and potential reforms.

The program offers a sequence of fellowships designed for different professional and academic stages, including:

• Early- to mid-career scholars and practitioners undertaking independent research.
• Former Individual Research Fellows seeking to connect their research with policy institutions and professional practice.
• African doctoral students developing dissertation proposals.
• Doctoral researchers conducting fieldwork, collecting data, and writing their dissertations.
• Doctoral candidates concentrating on dissertation completion and meeting their degree requirements.

These opportunities allow eligible applicants to identify a fellowship that aligns with their research objectives, academic progress, and professional experience.

Overview of APDD Fellowship Opportunities

The APDD program offers four principal fellowship pathways described below. The Research Policy Fellowship is intended for a specific group of former fellows, while the three doctoral dissertation fellowships support different stages of doctoral research.

1. Individual Research Fellowship (IRF)

The Individual Research Fellowship (IRF) supports early- to mid-career scholars and practitioners undertaking independent research related to peacebuilding in Africa.

This fellowship is designed for individuals who want to investigate important questions concerning peacebuilding, governance, development, conflict, or state-society relations. It provides an opportunity to conduct field-based research and develop written work that can contribute to knowledge production and inform relevant policies.

The fellowship supports research and writing for a period of up to nine months. This period enables fellows to dedicate substantial time to developing their research projects, gathering relevant evidence, analyzing findings, and preparing written outputs.

Objectives of the Individual Research Fellowship

The IRF aims to strengthen independent research and encourage the production of knowledge that can inform peacebuilding policies and practices in Africa.

Its principal objectives include:

• Supporting early- to mid-career scholars and practitioners undertaking independent research.
• Encouraging field-based research on peacebuilding and related developmental challenges.
• Promoting the production of relevant academic and policy-oriented knowledge.
• Strengthening researchers’ ability to investigate complex social, political, and institutional issues.
• Encouraging connections between research findings and policies that affect peacebuilding in African contexts.

Duration and Research Activities

The Individual Research Fellowship provides support for up to nine months of field-based research and writing.

During the fellowship period, research activities may involve developing and refining research questions, undertaking field investigations, collecting and interpreting relevant evidence, reviewing existing scholarship, and preparing research outputs. The precise activities depend on the fellow’s approved research project and the requirements established by the program.

The field-based focus makes this fellowship particularly relevant to researchers whose projects require engagement with communities, institutions, practitioners, or other sources of evidence in African settings.

Who Should Consider the IRF?

This opportunity is particularly relevant to early- and mid-career scholars and practitioners whose work contributes to understanding peacebuilding in Africa.

Applicants should have a clear research focus and be able to explain how their proposed work could contribute to knowledge production or policies related to peacebuilding. Individuals interested in examining conflict dynamics, governance, development, institutional relationships, or state-society interactions may find the program relevant when their projects align with its objectives.

Prospective applicants should consult the official fellowship page for the current call’s eligibility conditions, application materials, funding details, and submission requirements.

2. Research Policy Fellowship (RPF)

The Research Policy Fellowship (RPF) is designed to help former research fellows connect their academic work with policy practice. Unlike the Individual Research Fellowship, which supports early- to mid-career scholars and practitioners undertaking independent research, the RPF is specifically intended for former APN Individual Research Fellows who received their awards no earlier than June 2021, as stated in the program description.

This fellowship provides an opportunity to undertake research focused on a particular policy area while becoming affiliated with a policy institution or practitioner organization. The placement allows fellows to gain firsthand knowledge of how policy-oriented organizations operate and how research can contribute to their work.

The fellowship lasts for up to six months.

Purpose of the Research Policy Fellowship

Academic research can identify important problems and propose solutions, but translating research findings into practical policies often requires an understanding of institutional procedures, professional priorities, organizational constraints, and decision-making processes.

The RPF is intended to help bridge that gap. It encourages former fellows to apply their previous research experience in settings where policy is developed, discussed, implemented, or evaluated.

The opportunity can help participants better understand the relationship between scholarly evidence and policy decisions while developing the professional experience needed to communicate research findings to policymakers and practitioners.

Main Objectives and Activities

The Research Policy Fellowship supports several related objectives:

• Policy-focused research: Fellows investigate a specific policy area connected to their interests and previous research.
• Institutional affiliation: Participants affiliate with a policy institution or practitioner organization.
• Professional exposure: Fellows gain firsthand experience of the daily activities and operations of policy-oriented organizations.
• Knowledge mobilization: Participants have an opportunity to communicate and apply their research findings beyond academic settings.
• Policy reform: Fellows may use their research to inform or shape policy reforms.
• Practical alternatives: The fellowship can support the development of actionable alternatives to existing policies or approaches.

Through these activities, the program seeks to strengthen the connection between research and practical policy development.

Duration and Professional Development

The RPF provides support for up to six months. During this period, fellows can develop a deeper understanding of the policy environment surrounding their selected research area.

The institutional affiliation is an important component of the opportunity because it provides exposure to the daily realities of policy and practitioner organizations. This experience can help fellows understand how evidence is assessed, how policy options are considered, and how research can be presented in a form that is useful to decision-makers.

Eligibility Considerations

The Research Policy Fellowship has a specific eligibility restriction: applicants must be former APN Individual Research Fellows who received their awards no earlier than June 2021, according to the supplied program description.

This means that the fellowship is not presented as a general opportunity for all researchers or doctoral students. Applicants must first establish that they belong to the eligible former-fellow group and then review the current call for any additional conditions.

APDD Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships

APDD also provides a sequence of three doctoral dissertation fellowships for eligible African doctoral students. These opportunities are designed to support different stages of the dissertation process, from preparing a research proposal to conducting fieldwork and completing the final dissertation.

The three fellowships are:

1. Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship.
2. Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship.
3. Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship.

The doctoral opportunities described by the program are specifically intended for African doctoral students enrolled at universities in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda.

Each fellowship serves a different purpose. Applicants should therefore identify the stage of their doctoral studies and select the fellowship that corresponds to their current academic needs.

3. Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship

The Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship supports African doctoral students who need time and resources to develop their dissertation proposals and prepare for the fieldwork stage of their research.

A strong dissertation proposal establishes the foundation for a doctoral research project. It normally defines the research problem, explains the importance of the study, identifies the main research questions, reviews relevant academic literature, and outlines the methods that will be used to investigate the topic.

Preparing such a proposal requires substantial academic work. Students may need to examine existing research, refine their theoretical framework, identify relevant sources of data, and determine how their research will contribute to existing knowledge.

The APDD Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship is designed to support this preparatory phase.

Duration

The fellowship supports eligible doctoral students for six months.

This period is intended to help students concentrate on developing their dissertation proposals, undertaking preliminary research activities, and preparing for the next stage of their doctoral studies.

Supported Research Activities

The fellowship supports the following activities:

• Dissertation proposal development: Formulating and refining the central research problem and questions.
• Literature review: Examining existing academic research to establish the context and significance of the proposed study.
• Pre-fieldwork surveys: Conducting preliminary surveys or other preparatory activities that help researchers understand the research setting and improve their study design.
• Research planning: Developing the approach and structure needed to carry out the dissertation project.
• Proposal writing: Preparing and improving the written dissertation proposal.

These activities can help doctoral students establish a clearer research direction before beginning extensive fieldwork or data collection.

Why the Proposal Stage Matters

A well-developed dissertation proposal provides a roadmap for the entire doctoral research process. It helps establish what the researcher intends to investigate, why the subject matters, how the study will be conducted, and what contribution the findings may make.

The preparatory work supported by this fellowship can help students identify weaknesses in their initial research plans and make necessary improvements before proceeding to more resource-intensive stages of their studies.

It can also help students build a stronger understanding of the academic literature and develop a more clearly defined methodological approach.

Eligibility and Institutional Requirements

The program description identifies African doctoral students enrolled at a university in one of the following countries as the intended beneficiaries:

• Ghana
• Kenya
• Nigeria
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Uganda

Applicants should verify the current fellowship announcement for the precise nationality, enrollment, academic-progress, proposal, and documentation requirements. The supplied overview does not specify a complete list of required qualifications or application documents.

4. Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship

The Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship supports African doctoral students who are ready to undertake the research activities required for their dissertations.

After developing a research proposal, doctoral candidates generally need to collect evidence, conduct fieldwork where appropriate, analyze their findings, and connect their results to the relevant academic literature. These activities can be demanding and time-consuming, particularly when research requires travel, engagement with institutions or communities, or the collection of original data.

This fellowship is designed to support doctoral students during that intensive research stage.

Duration

The Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship provides support for twelve months.

This one-year period is intended to give eligible doctoral students time to undertake fieldwork, collect and analyze data, review relevant literature, and work on dissertation writing.

Key Research Activities

The fellowship supports several important components of doctoral research:

• Fieldwork: Undertaking the research activities needed to investigate the dissertation topic in the relevant setting.
• Data collection: Gathering the evidence required to answer the dissertation’s research questions.
• Data analysis: Examining the collected information and developing findings based on the research design.
• Literature review: Continuing to engage with relevant scholarship and relating the research findings to existing knowledge.
• Dissertation writing: Drafting and developing the dissertation based on the research process and emerging results.

The precise combination of activities will depend on the research topic, methodology, and requirements of the student’s doctoral program.

Importance of Fieldwork and Data Analysis

Fieldwork and data collection are central to many doctoral research projects, especially those examining social, political, economic, institutional, or developmental processes.

Through these activities, researchers can gather original evidence, examine how policies operate in practice, investigate the experiences of relevant communities, or analyze the activities of institutions and organizations.

Data analysis then enables researchers to interpret the collected information and assess how it relates to their research questions. Continued engagement with academic literature helps place these findings within a broader scholarly context.

By supporting this stage of the dissertation process, the fellowship aims to help students make meaningful progress toward producing a substantial and academically grounded research project.

Who Is Eligible?

The program overview identifies African doctoral students enrolled at universities in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda as the intended applicants.

Students considering this opportunity should check the official call for requirements concerning their doctoral enrollment, research proposal, dissertation stage, nationality, and any additional eligibility conditions.

5. Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship

The Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship is intended for eligible African doctoral students who need dedicated time to finish their dissertations and meet their doctoral degree requirements.

The final stage of a doctorate often requires substantial concentration. Students may need to complete data analysis, organize their findings, revise dissertation chapters, strengthen their arguments, incorporate academic feedback, and prepare the final document for submission.

Balancing these responsibilities with employment, teaching, family commitments, or other professional obligations can make dissertation completion challenging. The completion fellowship is designed to help students focus on this important stage of their academic journey.

Duration and Research Leave

The fellowship supports eligible doctoral students for up to twelve months and provides for a one-year leave to concentrate on dissertation completion. The program description also mentions the possibility of an extension.

Any extension should be understood as conditional rather than automatic. Applicants should consult the official fellowship announcement to establish the applicable rules, conditions, and approval process.

Main Objectives

The fellowship aims to help doctoral students:

• Concentrate on analyzing their research data.
• Develop and refine their scholarly writing.
• Complete the remaining chapters and sections of their dissertations.
• Strengthen the overall quality and coherence of their academic arguments.
• Meet the requirements of their doctoral degree programs.
• Make steady progress toward the completion and submission of their dissertations.

The opportunity is particularly relevant to students whose main remaining tasks involve analysis, interpretation, writing, revision, and final academic preparation.

Why Dissertation Completion Support Is Important

Completing a doctoral dissertation requires more than collecting research data. Students must transform their evidence into a coherent scholarly argument, demonstrate how their findings address their research questions, and establish the contribution their work makes to the relevant field.

This final process can involve repeated revisions, additional analysis, engagement with supervisors, and careful attention to institutional submission requirements.

Dedicated time for dissertation completion can help doctoral researchers maintain momentum and concentrate on bringing their research projects to a successful conclusion.

Eligibility Requirements

The program description identifies African doctoral students studying at universities in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda as the intended beneficiaries.

Applicants should confirm the current call’s specific requirements concerning their doctoral status, remaining dissertation work, expected completion timeline, and institutional eligibility. The precise criteria for an extension, where applicable, should also be checked directly with the program.

Official information: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/awards-and-fellowships/doctoral-dissertation-completion-fellowship/

Official information: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/awards-and-fellowships/doctoral-dissertation-research-fellowship/

Official information: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/awards-and-fellowships/doctoral-dissertation-proposal-fellowship/

Official information: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/awards-and-fellowships/research-policy-fellowship-rpf/

Official information: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/individual-research-fellowships/

Comparison of the Five APDD Fellowship Opportunities

The following comparison summarizes the primary purpose and duration of each opportunity described by the program.

Fellowship	Main purpose	Duration
Individual Research Fellowship (IRF)	Independent, field-based research and writing contributing to peacebuilding knowledge and policies in Africa	Up to 9 months
Research Policy Fellowship (RPF)	Policy-focused research and affiliation with a policy or practitioner organization for eligible former fellows	Up to 6 months
Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship	Dissertation proposal development, literature review, and pre-fieldwork surveys	6 months
Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship	Fieldwork, data collection, data analysis, literature review, and dissertation writing	12 months
Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship	Data analysis, scholarly writing, dissertation completion, and fulfillment of degree requirements	Up to 12 months, with the possibility of extension

These fellowship durations describe the support periods stated in the program overview. They should not be interpreted as confirmation of a particular funding amount, payment schedule, or currently open application cycle.

Research Themes and Potential Areas of Interest

The APDD program’s central focus is peacebuilding, developmental dynamics, and state-society relations in Africa. Within this broad scope, relevant research may examine how institutions, communities, political processes, social relationships, and development policies interact.

The exact topics accepted under each fellowship depend on the current call and the objectives of the proposed research. Nevertheless, the program’s stated focus provides a useful starting point for applicants considering whether their research aligns with its mission.

Potential areas of relevance may include:

• Peacebuilding and conflict resolution: Research into approaches, institutions, and processes that contribute to peacebuilding.
• Governance and institutional development: Studies examining institutions, governance arrangements, and their relationships with society.
• State-society relations: Research into interactions between governments, communities, civil society, and other social actors.
• Developmental dynamics: Investigations into social, political, and institutional factors influencing development.
• Public policy and reform: Research examining policy approaches, implementation, and opportunities for improvement.
• Community-level research: Field-based investigations that help explain how peacebuilding or development processes affect communities.
• Evidence-informed policymaking: Research that produces findings useful to policymakers and practitioner organizations.

These are illustrative research directions based on the program’s stated thematic focus, not a definitive list of approved subjects. Applicants should ensure that their proposals respond directly to the scope of the specific fellowship for which they intend to apply.

Benefits of the APDD Fellowship Program

The APDD fellowship pathways provide different forms of academic and professional support. The precise benefits available to each successful applicant depend on the fellowship and the terms of the relevant award.

1. Dedicated Time for Research

The fellowships provide defined periods for research, writing, proposal development, fieldwork, or dissertation completion. Depending on the award, this may help participants concentrate on important academic tasks and make progress toward their research goals.

2. Support for Doctoral Progress

The three doctoral fellowships address different stages of the dissertation process. Students can find support for developing a proposal, conducting research, or completing their final dissertation work, depending on their eligibility and academic stage.

3. Development of Research Skills

The activities associated with the fellowships can help participants strengthen their research planning, literature review, fieldwork, data collection, data analysis, and scholarly writing skills.

4. Stronger Connections Between Research and Policy

The program emphasizes knowledge production that can inform peacebuilding policies. The Research Policy Fellowship has a particularly direct policy-practice focus, allowing eligible former fellows to affiliate with policy or practitioner organizations.

5. Professional and Academic Development

By supporting independent research and doctoral progress, the fellowships can contribute to participants’ development as scholars and practitioners. The RPF also provides exposure to the operations of policy-oriented organizations.

6. Opportunities to Produce Relevant Knowledge

The program encourages research that contributes to understanding peacebuilding, development, and state-society relations. Well-designed projects may help address important academic questions and provide evidence relevant to policy discussions.

Important Note About Funding and Financial Benefits

The supplied APDD overview does not specify individual award amounts, stipends, tuition coverage, travel allowances, accommodation support, or other detailed financial terms. Applicants should not assume that every fellowship covers these expenses.

For accurate information about funding, eligible costs, payment arrangements, and any required institutional commitments, consult the official page for the specific fellowship and the current application call.

Application Process: How to Prepare

The exact application procedure and required documents may differ among the five fellowship pathways. The following steps provide a general preparation framework; they are not a substitute for the official application instructions.

Step 1: Select the Appropriate Fellowship

Begin by identifying the fellowship that matches your academic or professional position.

• Choose the Individual Research Fellowship if you are an eligible early- to mid-career scholar or practitioner planning independent, field-based research related to peacebuilding in Africa.
• Consider the Research Policy Fellowship if you are an eligible former APN Individual Research Fellow who meets the stated award-date requirement and wants to connect research with policy practice.
• Consider the Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship if you are at the dissertation proposal development stage.
• Consider the Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship if you need support for fieldwork, data collection, analysis, and dissertation writing.
• Consider the Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship if you are approaching the final stage of your doctorate and need to concentrate on completing your dissertation.

Step 2: Review the Official Eligibility Criteria

Read the eligibility requirements carefully before preparing your application.

For doctoral fellowships, pay particular attention to the eligible countries of university enrollment and any requirements related to doctoral status. For the Research Policy Fellowship, confirm your former-fellow status and the date of your previous award. For the Individual Research Fellowship, review the eligibility conditions for early- to mid-career scholars and practitioners.

The current call may specify additional requirements that are not included in the general program overview.

Step 3: Develop a Clear Research Focus

Applicants should be able to explain what they intend to investigate and why the research matters.

A strong research concept generally identifies the problem, establishes its significance, defines the main research questions, and explains how the proposed work aligns with the fellowship’s objectives. For field-based research, applicants should also consider the research setting, evidence required, and proposed methods.

For doctoral applicants, the research plan should reflect the stage of the dissertation and the tasks that the fellowship is intended to support.

Step 4: Prepare the Required Application Materials

Consult the official fellowship page to identify the documents and information required for the current application cycle.

Depending on the specific fellowship, the call may request information about the applicant’s academic or professional background, research project, institutional affiliation, doctoral progress, or proposed activities. However, the exact document list should be taken from the official instructions rather than assumed.

Step 5: Explain the Relevance and Potential Contribution

Clearly demonstrate how the proposed research relates to peacebuilding, developmental dynamics, state-society relations, or the particular objectives of the fellowship.

Where appropriate, explain how the research could contribute to academic knowledge, improve understanding of a relevant issue, or inform policy and practice.

Applicants to the Research Policy Fellowship should pay particular attention to the relationship between their previous research, the selected policy area, and the intended institutional affiliation.

Step 6: Check the Deadline and Submission Instructions

Before submitting an application, verify the current deadline, application portal, required attachments, eligibility rules, and any instructions concerning references or institutional documentation.

Do not rely on deadlines from previous application cycles. If the relevant page does not display a current deadline, contact the program or check its official announcements before planning a submission.

Step 7: Submit Through the Official Channel

Use the official SSRC fellowship page to access the relevant application information. Follow the instructions for the specific fellowship, complete all required sections, and ensure that the submission meets the stated requirements.

Applicants should retain copies of their submitted materials and any confirmation provided by the application system.

Important Eligibility and Geographic Considerations

The APDD program contains several fellowship pathways, and eligibility is not identical across all of them.

The Individual Research Fellowship is described as supporting early- to mid-career scholars and practitioners conducting research related to peacebuilding in Africa. The Research Policy Fellowship has the additional restriction that applicants must be eligible former APN Individual Research Fellows whose awards were received no earlier than June 2021.

The three doctoral dissertation fellowships are described as supporting African doctoral students enrolled at universities in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda.

Consequently, applicants should distinguish between eligibility based on professional or academic status and eligibility based on nationality or university enrollment. The phrase “African doctoral students” does not, by itself, establish every detailed nationality, residency, or citizenship condition that may apply under a particular call.

Applicants from other countries or those enrolled at universities outside the six listed countries should not assume that they qualify for the doctoral fellowships. They should consult the official eligibility criteria for the relevant award.

Likewise, the supplied overview does not establish that every nationality, career stage, or research topic is eligible for every APDD fellowship. Each opportunity must be assessed individually.

Application Deadline

Deadline: Not specified in the supplied program information.

The APDD program overview describes the fellowship opportunities and their purposes but does not provide a current application deadline for any of the five fellowships discussed in this article.

Applicants should visit the relevant official fellowship page to check whether applications are currently open, confirm the closing date, and review any updates concerning eligibility or application procedures.

Official program overview: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/

Applicants should rely on the current official announcement rather than assuming that an earlier deadline remains valid or that a fellowship is accepting applications.

Official APDD Fellowship Links

Use the following official SSRC webpages to review the individual fellowship opportunities and find their application information.

• APDD Program Overview: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/
• Awards and Fellowships: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/awards-and-fellowships/
• Individual Research Fellowship: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/individual-research-fellowships/
• Research Policy Fellowship: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/awards-and-fellowships/research-policy-fellowship-rpf/
• Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/awards-and-fellowships/doctoral-dissertation-proposal-fellowship/
• Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/awards-and-fellowships/doctoral-dissertation-research-fellowship/
• Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship: https://www.ssrc.org/programs/african-peacebuilding-and-developmental-dynamics-apdd/awards-and-fellowships/doctoral-dissertation-completion-fellowship/

Conclusion

The African Peacebuilding and Developmental Dynamics (APDD) program offers a range of research and academic development opportunities for scholars, practitioners, and doctoral students whose work aligns with peacebuilding, development, and state-society relations in Africa.

Its Individual Research Fellowship supports early- to mid-career scholars and practitioners undertaking independent field-based research for up to nine months. The Research Policy Fellowship offers eligible former APN Individual Research Fellows up to six months of policy-focused research and institutional experience. The three doctoral dissertation fellowships support proposal development, research and data collection, and dissertation completion over periods ranging from six months to up to twelve months.

Together, these opportunities address several important stages of research and professional development. They encourage the production of relevant knowledge, support doctoral progress, and help strengthen connections between academic research and policy practice.

Prospective applicants should identify the fellowship that best matches their experience and research stage, verify the detailed eligibility requirements, and review the current official application instructions. Since a current deadline and detailed financial benefits are not established in the supplied program overview, applicants should confirm these details directly with the SSRC before applying.

For researchers and doctoral students working on relevant African issues, APDD may offer a valuable pathway to advance their research, strengthen their academic work, and contribute to informed discussions about peacebuilding and development.

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