IFAS-Research: Call for projects 2025

Master’s students – PhD candidates – Postdoctoral – Senior Researchers

IFAS-Research (UMIFRE 25, MEAE/CNRS – French Institute of South Africa) has a regional mandate covering twelve countries in southern and central Africa: Angola, Botswana, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. IFAS-Research promotes and supports research projects in the Humanities and Social Sciences focusing on at least one these countries.

Every year, IFAS-Research funds a variety of research projects, either individual or collective (fieldwork, surveys, archival and documentary research, events, etc.). Funds allocated by IFAS-Research will range from 500 to 1,500 €, depending on the project’s nature.

Scientific excellence is the main criteria of selection. Master’s students, PhD candidates and post-doctoral or senior researchers are eligible. No nationality requirement applies and candidates can be affiliated to an institution from any country, but the existence (or the prospect) of a sustainable partnership with one or more local teams is essential, in particular for collective projects. The financial participation of another institution is requested (research laboratories, UFR, doctoral schools, etc.).

NB : IFAS-Research does not fund tuition fees.

All funding applications for 2025 must imperatively reach us before November 30^th, 2024 (see details and documents below).

Projects must be relevant to one of the Institute’s three research areas:

1. Archaeology and prehistory
   • Paleoanthropology, evolution of hominins;
   • Archaeology and multidisciplinary studies of the Middle Stone Age, Later Stone Age, Iron Age and historical archaeology;
   • Rock art.
2. Heritage, history of art and history (medieval, modern and contemporary) of southern African societies
   • Political and social history; History of social and racial hierarchies, history of slavery;
   • Material, linguistic and cultural circulations; integration of Southern Africa into Atlantic and Indo-Oceanic circulations;
   • Heritage studies, history of art, contemporary approaches to memory in Southern Africa;
   • History of ideas and knowledge, cultural history and historical linguistics.
3. Contemporary dynamics: urban studies, social, political, economic and cultural changes
   • Urban studies (geography, history, sociology, anthropology, etc.): governance and policy, security, spatial justice, right to the city, urban memory;
   • Migration studies, borders, xenophobia;
   • Political transformations in Southern Africa, election studies, citizenship and its transformations, national construction processes;
   • Cultural and language policy; cultural and creative industries; art and society;
   • Identity politics and studies; gender studies;
   • Emergence and resource capture, economic policies, development economics, labour;
   • Education, youth, social movements;
   • Ecology, the environment and society;
   • Health and society.

List of documents to enclose in the application:

• A cover letter;
• A CV (maximum 2 pages);
• A detailed description of the research project not exceeding 4 pages and containing the outlines of the scientific project, a research programme (dates, itinerary, objectives, etc.), the list of institutional partnerships and the perspectives of valorisation (publications, oral communications, etc.);
• For master’s students or PhD candidates, a letter of recommendation from the research supervisor;
• The application form for funding (choose between the application form for individual projects or the application form for collective projects);
• The estimated budget, downloadable here.

Application process:

Please send the application by email and attach a single .pdf document containing all of the above to: annael.lepoullennec@frenchinstitute.org.za and lea.jobard@frenchinstitute.org.za.

Deadline for applications: November 30 2024 Applicants will receive replies by email in January 2025.