BIEA 2022 Research Fellowship for Early-Career Researchers(Deadline : February 15, 2022)

BIEA 2022 Research Fellowship for Early-Career Researchers(Deadline : February 15, 2022)

The BIEA seeks to appoint several early career researchers who have successfully completed doctoral studies within the last 5 years (with allowance made for family-related or other relevant career breaks), to fill a number of full-time one-year Research Fellow positions at our research hub in Nairobi, Kenya.

Candidates should work in any discipline of the humanities and social sciences and must be able to demonstrate their research is aligned with one of our six Research Themes:

–             Retelling the Past

–             Changing Environments

–             Urban Lives

–             Technologies of Politics

–             Next Generations

–             Epidemics, pandemics and epizootics

About British Institute in East Africa (BIEA)

The British Institute in Eastern Africa has been active since 1960 and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The Institute exists to promote research in all the disciplines in the humanities and social sciences within the wider region of eastern Africa. It has a strong tradition of research in anthropology, archaeology, history and linguistics, and recent projects have embraced political, environmental and development studies, geography, public health, and art and performance. Its renovated research centre in Nairobi provides work space and accommodation

Aim and Benefits of Research Fellowship

In addition to conducting and publishing their own high-impact research, BIEA Research Fellows are expected to contribute to BIEA activities. As such each will be assigned certain academic activities for which they will take a strategic lead and responsibility, and will also be expected to contribute to the running of, and to participate in, the BIEA’s other activities.

Requirements for Research Fellowship Qualification

Applicants can originate from any country in the East African Community (EAC: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda,) and where necessary the BIEA will assist successful candidates in an application for a work permit as allowed by the EAC Common Market Protocol.

Further details:

Key duties of the BIEA Research Fellows, in consultation with the Kenya Country Director, will include:

• Conducting research in his/her own field of specialisation of strategic relevance to the BIEA, including carrying out field work or other research activities, and publishing peer-reviewed and popular outputs (including on our website and social media). A small research budget is available, but candidates are expected to apply for external funding to supplement this. At least one research paper must be submitted to a peer reviewed publication within the course of the year.
• Developing a funding proposal for a research collaboration that includes at least one UK-based academic and that includes BIEA as a partner, that must be submitted during the year to a specified funding organisation.
• Contributing to the academic environment of the BIEA by support visiting researchers and our academic partners with information and advice.
• Encouraging a collegiate and dynamic academic environment by, for example, organizing research seminars and participating in workshops and training programmes being run by the BIEA.
• Overseeing certain aspects of our BIEA activities such as our graduate training programmes and contributing to the production of our Annual Review.
• Representing the BIEA at academic meetings and conferences, and helping the BIEA to develop its networks and partnerships.

Particulars for applicants:

• Applicants should have the right to work in Kenya and must be available to start on 1st April 2022. 
• Applicants should originate from any country in the East African Community (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda).
• Applicants should have completed a PhD in the last five years (with allowance made for family-related or other relevant career breaks) made for family-related or other relevant career breaks) or be able to demonstrate that they are about to complete a PhD (i.e., the application must include a letter from the PhD supervisor confirming that the applicant has submitted and is awaiting their viva) on a regionally relevant topic within the disciplines of the humanities and social sciences.
• Applicants should be working on a research project that will contribute innovative and policy-relevant scholarship in the humanities and social sciences as they concern Eastern Africa, and Africa more generally.
• Applicants should have excellent English written and oral communication skills.
• Applicants based at a university or other organization must have secured support from their employer for permission to take up a year-long external post.
• Salary and benefits package will be offered at a competitive rate, appropriate to experience and career-stage.
• Applications from academics whose research extends beyond the traditional geographical and research focus of the BIEA are particularly encouraged.

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted to [email protected] by 1700h EAT on 15th February 2022. Your application will include a full CV with details of three references and a cover letter. In addition, the following documents are required:

• A proposal for research that will be undertaken during the course of the year, including an outline of at least one publication to be submitted to a high-impact journal during the year (maximum 3 pages).
• An outline of a collaborative research project including at least one UK-based academic and that includes BIEA as a partner, that will be developed and submitted to a specified funding organisation during the year (maximum 2 pages).
• Ideas for contributing to and developing the academic environment of the BIEA (maximum 1 page).

For more details, visit BIEA website.