Early Career Research Spring School 2026 in South Africa: Fully Funded Climate, Peace and Security Training

Early Career Research Spring School 2026 in South Africa | Fully Funded Climate, Peace and Security Training. Apply for the CGIAR Climate, Peace, and Security Spring School 2026 in South Africa. Fully funded training for early-career researchers, graduate students, and young professionals with travel, accommodation, and meals covered.

The CGIAR Climate, Peace, and Security Spring School 2026 is now accepting applications from South Africa-based early-career researchers, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and young professionals interested in exploring the intersection of climate change, peacebuilding, and sustainable development. This fully funded three-day programme offers participants the opportunity to strengthen interdisciplinary research skills, gain practical fieldwork experience, and connect with leading experts working in climate security.

Hosted at the University of Fort Hare (East London Campus) from 2–4 September 2026, the Spring School brings together emerging scholars from environmental and social science disciplines to examine how climate change affects peace, conflict, governance, migration, and resilience. The programme is jointly organized by the University of Fort Hare, the CGIAR Climate Security Team (Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT), the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and the University of the Free State.

If you are an early-career researcher looking to expand your expertise in climate, peace, and security, this programme provides an excellent opportunity to learn from experts while building valuable professional networks.

About the CGIAR Climate, Peace, and Security Spring School

The CGIAR Climate, Peace, and Security Spring School is designed to equip emerging researchers with practical knowledge and interdisciplinary approaches for addressing complex climate-related challenges. Participants will engage in interactive sessions, collaborative learning activities, and field-based experiences that explore the relationship between environmental change, conflict dynamics, and sustainable development.

The programme encourages participants to examine climate issues through multiple perspectives, combining environmental science, governance, peacebuilding, and social research to develop innovative responses to global and regional challenges.

Beyond academic learning, the Spring School creates opportunities for participants to collaborate with peers, exchange ideas with experienced researchers, and establish long-term professional relationships across institutions working in climate security.

Programme Benefits

Selected participants will receive comprehensive financial support throughout the programme.

Benefits include:

Full coverage of travel expenses.
Accommodation throughout the Spring School.
Meals during the programme.
Access to expert-led training sessions.
Practical fieldwork experience.
Opportunities to build interdisciplinary research skills.
Networking with researchers, academics, and professionals working in climate, peace, and security.
Exposure to collaborative research and regional partnerships.

The programme is intended to remove financial barriers while providing participants with valuable academic and professional development opportunities.

Who Can Apply?

Applications are invited from individuals who meet the following criteria:

Master’s students.
PhD candidates.
Postdoctoral research fellows.
Early-career researchers.
Young professionals.

Applicants should have an academic or professional background in areas such as:

Environmental Science.
Peace and Conflict Studies.
Political Science.
Migration Studies.
Sociology.
Development Studies.
Other closely related disciplines.

Applicants must also currently reside in South Africa.

The organizers particularly encourage applications from women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.

What Participants Will Learn

Throughout the Spring School, participants will strengthen their understanding of the connections between climate change, environmental risks, governance, and security.

Key learning outcomes include:

Understanding climate-related security challenges.
Developing interdisciplinary research approaches.
Enhancing field research and data collection skills.
Exploring climate adaptation and resilience strategies.
Strengthening collaboration across environmental and social science disciplines.
Building professional research networks.

The programme combines theoretical discussions with practical learning to help participants develop skills that can be applied in research, policy, and professional practice.

Required Application Documents

Applicants are required to submit:

A current Curriculum Vitae (CV).
A cover letter explaining:
- Their interest in participating.
- How the Spring School aligns with their academic research or professional goals.

Applicants should ensure their documents clearly demonstrate their motivation and relevance to the programme’s objectives.

Programme Dates

The Spring School will take place:

2–4 September 2026

Venue: University of Fort Hare, East London Campus, South Africa.

Application Deadline

The deadline for submitting applications is:

14 August 2026

Interested candidates are encouraged to prepare and submit their applications well before the closing date.

Why Apply?

Climate change increasingly influences livelihoods, migration, governance, and peacebuilding efforts across Africa and the world. Researchers capable of understanding these interconnected challenges are becoming increasingly important in academia, policy, and international development.

The CGIAR Climate, Peace, and Security Spring School offers early-career researchers a unique opportunity to strengthen interdisciplinary expertise while learning directly from experienced practitioners and academics working in climate security. Through practical training, collaborative learning, and professional networking, participants will be better equipped to contribute to evidence-based solutions that promote resilience and sustainable development.

For graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and young professionals interested in climate governance, conflict prevention, environmental policy, or sustainable development, this fully funded programme provides valuable experience that can support future research and career opportunities.

Keywords: CGIAR Climate Peace and Security Spring School 2026, fully funded training South Africa, climate change training 2026, peace and security programme, early career researcher opportunities, graduate research training, postdoctoral training South Africa, climate security research, environmental science opportunities, development studies training, political science research programme, migration studies workshop, interdisciplinary research training, University of Fort Hare, CGIAR opportunities, fully funded workshops Africa, climate resilience training, research networking programme, South Africa research opportunities, climate peace security fellowship

APPLY NOW