UAE Africa Institute Fellowships 2027 for Senior and Postdoctoral Researchers

Apply for The Africa Institute Fellowships 2027 in Sharjah, UAE. The Senior and Postdoctoral Fellowships support research in African and African diaspora studies, with applications closing September 30, 2026.

The Africa Institute Senior and Postdoctoral Fellowships 2027 offer an opportunity for established and emerging scholars to spend a dedicated research period in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, as part of an international academic community focused on Africa and the African diaspora.

The 2027 Research Fellowships Program is now open, with the application deadline set for Wednesday, September 30, 2026. The programme brings together senior academics, postdoctoral researchers, authors and public intellectuals whose work contributes to African studies, African diaspora studies and related humanities and social sciences disciplines.

Unlike conventional scholarships designed primarily to finance a degree, these are research fellowships and residential academic opportunities. Successful fellows undertake their own projects while participating in the intellectual environment of The Africa Institute, Global Studies University.

Africa Institute Fellowships 2027 Overview

Fellowship Detail	Information
Host Institution	The Africa Institute, Global Studies University
Location	Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Programme	2027 Research Fellowships Program
Fellowship Types	2 Senior Fellowships and 2 Postdoctoral Fellowships
Senior Fellowship Duration	One year
Postdoctoral Fellowship Duration	Two years
Application Deadline	September 30, 2026
Research Focus	African and African diaspora studies and related fields
Application	Online
Eligible Researchers	Senior scholars and eligible postdoctoral researchers
Academic Areas	Humanities and social sciences, with fellowship-specific specialisations

The Africa Institute describes itself as a globally oriented centre for research, documentation, study and teaching concerning Africa and its diaspora. Its fellowship programme is consequently designed around advanced research rather than conventional classroom-based study.

What Fellowships Are Available in 2027?

The Africa Institute currently offers four named fellowship opportunities under its Research Fellowships Program.

Toni Morrison Senior Fellowship

The Toni Morrison Senior Fellowship in African Diaspora Literature and Cultural Studies is intended for established scholars and recognised intellectuals working in relevant areas of African and African diaspora studies and culture.

Eligible applicants can include associate or full professors at their home institutions, as well as independent authors and public intellectuals who have received critical recognition for their writing in relevant fields.

The fellowship provides a full-time, one-year residency in Sharjah, typically running from September to June.

The fellowship is named after Toni Morrison, the influential American novelist, essayist and cultural thinker whose work explored race, identity, history, literature and the African American experience.

Ali A. Mazrui Senior Fellowship

The Ali A. Mazrui Senior Fellowship in Global African Studies is designed for established scholars whose research focuses on African and African diaspora studies and their intersections with the humanities and social sciences.

Applicants may include recognised scholars at the level of associate or full professor, as well as independent authors and public intellectuals with critical recognition for relevant work.

Like the Toni Morrison fellowship, the Ali A. Mazrui fellowship is a full-time, one-year residency in Sharjah, normally operating from September to June.

The programme honours Ali A. Mazrui, an influential scholar of African studies whose work examined Africa’s political, cultural and international dimensions.

Okwui Enwezor Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Okwui Enwezor Postdoctoral Fellowship in Visual Culture, Performance Studies, and Critical Humanities targets emerging scholars working at the intersection of visual culture, performance studies, art history, art criticism and critical humanities.

Applicants must have earned a PhD within the five years preceding the start of the fellowship.

This is a full-time, two-year residency in Sharjah, typically running from September to June.

The fellowship honours Okwui Enwezor, the influential curator, scholar and art critic known for his contributions to contemporary art, visual culture and critical humanities.

Fatema Mernissi Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Fatema Mernissi Postdoctoral Fellowship in Social and Cultural Studies is intended for emerging scholars in the social sciences whose research has particular relevance to gender, feminism, cultural studies and visual cultures, provided that the work intersects with African and African diaspora studies.

Like the Okwui Enwezor Fellowship, applicants must have obtained their doctoral degree within the five years before assuming the fellowship.

The fellowship is a full-time, two-year residency in Sharjah, normally running from September through June.

It is named in honour of Fatema Mernissi, the prominent Moroccan scholar whose work examined gender, feminism, Islam and sociopolitical change.

Who Can Apply?

Eligibility depends on the specific fellowship.

For the two senior fellowships, the Institute identifies established academics at associate or full professor level, together with recognised independent authors and public intellectuals, as eligible applicant groups.

For the two postdoctoral fellowships, applicants must meet the relevant research-field requirements and have earned their PhD within the preceding five years before beginning the fellowship.

A major theme across the programme is the connection between the proposed research and Africa and/or the African diaspora. Applicants therefore need to demonstrate that their projects fit the intellectual scope of the specific fellowship they are applying for.

What Research Areas Are Supported?

The fellowships cover different but related areas.

The Toni Morrison Fellowship focuses particularly on African diaspora literature and cultural studies.

The Ali A. Mazrui Fellowship centres on global African studies and intersections between African and African diaspora studies, humanities and social sciences.

The Okwui Enwezor Fellowship focuses on visual culture, performance studies and critical humanities.

The Fatema Mernissi Fellowship focuses on social and cultural studies, especially research concerning gender, feminism and cultural studies, with an African and African diaspora connection.

Applicants should therefore choose the fellowship whose intellectual focus most closely matches their research rather than submitting the same generic proposal to all four opportunities.

What Does the Residency Involve?

These fellowships are designed to provide researchers with an environment where they can concentrate on their projects while participating in a wider scholarly community.

The Institute describes its fellowship environment as one involving research, documentation, study and teaching related to Africa and its diaspora. Fellows join an international academic setting alongside researchers working across different disciplinary and geographic perspectives.

The senior fellowships last one year, while the postdoctoral fellowships last two years.

The residency is based in Sharjah, UAE, making physical participation a central part of the programme.

How to Apply for the Africa Institute Fellowship 2027

The application process is conducted online through the Institute’s application system.

Applicants should first determine which of the four fellowships best fits their academic position and research topic.

The next stage is to prepare the required application materials and research information according to the fellowship’s submission requirements. The Institute provides separate information covering eligibility criteria, application requirements, submission guidelines and key dates.

Applications must be submitted by:

September 30, 2026

Applicants can use the official application system to apply as a new applicant or continue an existing application.

The Institute also provides an email contact for application questions and technical assistance at applications@theafricainstitute.org.

How Competitive Is the Programme?

The Africa Institute describes the Research Fellowships Program as a selective academic opportunity intended for researchers whose work demonstrates significant relevance and scholarly potential within its areas of focus.

For this reason, applicants should avoid treating the fellowship as a general funding application.

The strongest applications are likely to be those that clearly establish the intellectual significance of the proposed project, explain its relationship to African or African diaspora studies, and demonstrate the applicant’s ability to produce substantial scholarly work during the residency.

For postdoctoral researchers, the five-year PhD requirement should be checked carefully before preparing an application.

Senior applicants should also make sure that their academic or professional profile corresponds to the experience level specified for the relevant fellowship.

Why Consider The Africa Institute Fellowships?

For researchers already working in African studies, diaspora studies, cultural studies, humanities or related social sciences, the fellowships provide something particularly valuable: protected time for advanced research within an international scholarly environment.

The named fellowships also offer applicants the chance to position their research within intellectual traditions associated with globally recognised scholars and cultural thinkers including Toni Morrison, Ali A. Mazrui, Okwui Enwezor and Fatema Mernissi.

The Sharjah residency further provides an opportunity to engage with scholars and institutions in a region that connects African, Arab, Asian and global intellectual networks.

Important Point About Funding

The information supplied for this 2027 call confirms the fellowship types, residency arrangements, eligibility profiles and application deadline, but the supplied source does not state a specific stipend amount or detailed financial package.

Applicants should therefore not assume that the fellowships are fully funded or attach an unverified monetary figure to the opportunity. The financial conditions should be confirmed directly in the current official fellowship guidelines before publication of any claim about salary, accommodation, travel or other benefits.

This distinction is important for applicants planning an international research residency in the UAE.

Final Thoughts

The UAE Africa Institute Fellowships 2027 for Senior and Postdoctoral Researchers provide a specialised research opportunity for academics and intellectuals whose work engages seriously with Africa and the African diaspora.

The four fellowship tracks cover distinct areas, ranging from literature and cultural studies to global African studies, visual culture, performance studies, feminism and social and cultural research.

Senior scholars may apply for the Toni Morrison Senior Fellowship or Ali A. Mazrui Senior Fellowship, while eligible early-career researchers may consider the Okwui Enwezor Postdoctoral Fellowship or Fatema Mernissi Postdoctoral Fellowship.

The key deadline is September 30, 2026. Because this is a research residency rather than a standard university scholarship, applicants should focus on demonstrating a strong scholarly profile, a well-defined research project and a clear fit with the particular fellowship.

Official Application

Applications for the 2027 Research Fellowships Program are submitted online through The Africa Institute’s official application portal.

Application Deadline: September 30, 2026

Application Portal: https://register.gsu.ac.ae/psc/reg/EMPLOYEE/SA/c/X_ADMISSION.X_AD_REGISTRATION.GBL?&languageCD=ENG

Official Fellowship Information: https://www.theafricainstitute.org/institute-program/senior-postdoctoral-fellowship-program/

Application Support: applications@theafricainstitute.org

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