What SSRC Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship actually covers.
The Social Science Research Council (SSRC) Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship programme supports PhD students and early career researchers at African universities in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda who are working on research related to peace, security, and development. The programme awards 45 fellowships per year covering dissertation proposal development, dissertation research (up to US$15,000 in research costs), and dissertation completion (up to US$15,000 stipend plus one-year leave from teaching). The SSRC is a leading US-based social science research organisation with a long-standing commitment to supporting social science research in Africa. The programme aims to strengthen the capacity of African social scientists to conduct rigorous research and contribute to evidence-based policy on issues of peace, security, and development. Fellows become part of the SSRC's global network of social scientists and gain access to mentoring, peer networks, and opportunities to present their research at international conferences.
Who can apply.
Open to phd applicants. Eligible nationalities are listed below.
46 more eligible countries — full list available on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
Four steps to a complete application.
Scholar Africa is a discovery and tracking platform — the application itself is submitted directly through the official provider site. The steps below mirror our HowTo schema.
Check eligibility
Confirm your nationality, academic level, and field of study match the criteria above.
Eligibility checklist
Prepare documents
Transcripts, recommendation letters, personal statement, and a valid passport.
Document checklist
Submit the application
Submit before June 30, 2026 via the official portal.
Submission checklist
Track your application
Use your Scholar Africa dashboard to monitor status and deadline reminders.
Post-submission checklist
What we checked, when we checked it.
Scholar Africa runs a link-liveness check on every listing before it goes live. Five additional checks (contact, organisation, winners, third-party, manual review) are on the roadmap. SSRC Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship currently scores 2.0/10.
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Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.