The University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars (UMAPS) Program brings early career faculty from African universities to Ann Arbor, Michigan for residencies that begin in late August, generally lasting up to six months. Scholars are paired with a faculty mentor during their stay and have full access to the University of Michigan’s resources to further their work on a research project, an academic degree, publications, grant proposal, or other relevant activity. The program supports the development of the next generation of African scholars by integrating them into international academic networks and promotes U-M’s international commitment to research and teaching collaborations across diverse disciplines, from engineering to literature to economics.
Since 2009, the UMAPS Program has hosted nine cohorts of scholars (118 total) from Ghana, South Africa, Liberia, Uganda, Ethiopia, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Nigeria, representing a wide range of disciplines that closely align with the following initiatives:
African Heritage Initiative (AHI) supports research related to the arts, humanities, and interpretive social sciences, which highlights the dynamic, contested process by which African cultures and histories are made;
African Social Research Initiative (ASRI) promotes social science research on democratic governance and distributive politics; income dynamics and poverty; and gender, health, and development;
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Initiative (STEM-Africa) seeks to nurture the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in Africa, which extends scientific knowledge and yields solutions to global problems.
Benefits
- Four to six months residency at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, paired with a faculty mentor with full access to the university’s resources
- Round-trip airfare from their home country to Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Free housing, and a modest stipend to cover living, health care, and research costs while at U-M.
Important note: The UMAPS program is unable to accommodate spouses and/or dependents - Office/Laboratory space
- Opportunity to present research to the U-M community
Eligibilities
- Applicants outside of Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, South Africa, or Uganda must be nominated by a University of Michigan faculty member
- Previous recipients of the UMAPS fellowship are not eligible to apply.
- Be an early career faculty member who has taught in the higher education system for less than ten years, presently teaching in a college or university in Africa
- Be able to demonstrate support from home institution with letter of recommendation from head of department, dean, or vice chancellor
- Be able to remain in residence from four to six months
For further details please visit their official website.
Eligible Regions: Open for allApplication Process
Apply online through the given link.
For more information please visit their official website.
Application Deadline: October 15, 2017
Application ClosedOfficial link
