AFRICA CLIMATE MOBILITY ACADEMY 2024:
CLIMATE, PEACE & MOBILITY
OCTOBER, 2024
KENYA
CMARN, in partnership with Masinde Muliro University for Science and Technology (MMUST) and CGIAR, is delighted to announce the first ever Africa Climate Mobility Academy 2024. Comprising an in-person writing workshop, intensive programme of mentorship and guidance, and small research grants, the Academy will support early career researchers to develop and publish high quality research relating to climate, peace and mobility in Africa.
Applications close June 30. Find out more below!
What is the Africa Climate Mobility Academy?
What does the Academy involve?
What is the Africa Climate Mobility Academy?
The Africa Climate Mobility Academy 2024: Climate, Peace and Mobility is a dedicated programme of mentorship, in-person peer support, expert guidance, and small research grants, with the aim of fostering locally relevant research, creating opportunities for exchange and networking for African researchers at the nexus of climate change, human mobility and peacebuilding, and fostering mentorship with and between institutions in Africa.
The programme seeks to increase the numbers of peer-reviewed publications with African researchers as lead authors, and to thereby strengthen the position of southern-led science to inform policy and practice on climate resilience and human mobility in Africa and globally.
What does the Academy involve?
The Academy programme offers a combined package of mentorship, writing support and small research grants. For the 2024 Academy programme, each candidate will:
-
Participate in a writing academy in October 2024, hosted by Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology and held in partnership with CMARN and CGIAR, and including expert inputs, guided writing sessions, and opportunities for exchange with other participants and senior researchers.
-
Participate in a mentorship programme in support of the writing process and to help identify opportunities for further academic and for relevant policy engagement. Through the mentors and with support from the CPD Partnership team, candidates will receive guidance in support of finalising the draft paper, preparing it for submission to a peer-reviewed journal, and addressing review comments.
-
Receive a small research grant, which will be used to cover costs such as access to literature, conference participation and publishing in open-access, peer-reviewed journals.
Who is the Academy for?
The Academy targets early career researchers, which includes but is not limited to PhD students and post-doctoral researchers. To participate in the Academy, candidates must have an existing research project that is in the write-up stage and candidates are expected to commit sufficient time to:
-
participate in the mentorship programme;
-
present their research at and participate actively in a week-long, in-person academy with peers and mentors; and
-
finalise a manuscript and submit it to a peer-reviewed journal.
Successful candidates receive a small research grant to cover study-related expenses. Expenses for transport and accommodation etc. for the in-person academies will be fully covered. During the course of the programme, successful candidates are responsible for the finalisation of their papers and submission to relevant journals, with support from mentors, peers and experts.
Key dates
-
Deadline for submission of applications: 30 June 2024
-
Selection of candidates: 15 July 2024
-
Drafting of papers, mentorship and preparations for the academy: 15 July – 30 September 2024
-
Writing workshop at MMUST, Kenya: October 2024 (dates to be confirmed)
-
Finalisation of papers and submission to peer reviewed journals: end-2024/ early 2025.
How to apply
Interested candidates should complete the application form using the button below. A preview of the application form is available here.
For further inquiries about the programme, please contact:
-
Oluwatoyin Adejonwo, CMARN: oadejonwoosho@yahoo.com
-
Nicodemus Nyandiko, MMUST: nnyandiko@mmust.ac.ke
-
Bina Desai, CGIAR: b.desai@cgiar.org
More Information
Tell me more about the Academy
Human mobility is an important feature of social and economic development. However, while migration can be seen as an important development and adaptation strategy, displacement in the context of climate change can further strain FLWS and generate new risks. Climate change and social inequalities, coupled with unmanaged displacement crises can exacerbate existing tensions and conflict, increasing pressure on livelihoods and ecosystems.
Science generated through the Academy will support evidence-based decision-making and improved governance for climate-related mobility in Africa by:
-
improving our understanding the risk conditions in food, land and water systems (FLWS) in the context of climate change that shape displacement patterns and crises;
-
analysing the patterns, scale and impact of human mobility related to climate change impacts, and assessing displacement risk; and
-
identifying and sharing examples of forward-looking, innovative and sustainable approaches managing risks at the nexus of climate, conflict and displacement.
What are the selection criteria?
All proposals need to address the topics presented in this Call for Proposals and priority will be given to proposals that are of direct relevance to CMARN objectives. In addition, the following selection criteria will be applied:
-
Affiliation: Candidates have to be affiliated with an African university, African national or regional research institution, or recognised research programme in Africa. This call is particularly targeted at early career African researchers, including PhD candidates, but with relevant and high-quality proposals from students or senior scientists whose research meet CPD and CMARN’s objectives can also be considered.
-
Maturity of research: Applications submitted must be based on research that is mature enough to be written up or where candidates are in the final stages of write-up for publication. Proposals that are at a stage of concept development, data collection or preliminary analysis will not be considered. All candidates will be asked to provide information on the status of their research in the application.
-
Diversity: Selection of candidates will be based on intellectual quality and sound methodology of the proposal and taking into account a balance of the following criteria across all accepted candidates:
-
Gender: we particularly encourage proposals from female researchers and scientists.
-
Geography: selected candidates will come from a range of African science institutions.
-
Thematic diversity: livelihoods, peace and security, migration, displacement, climate change with strong policy linkages.
What kinds of research will the Academy support?
Proposals will present research that unpacks these challenges, provides new insights into historical and present examples, presents novel risk analysis, or identifies examples of good or promising practices. Proposed papers will address research questions, such as for example:
-
Where are the areas that experience conflict and displacement resulting from or related to climate-induced failings in food, land and water systems (FLWS)?
-
Who are the groups most vulnerable to conflicts and displacement resulting from climate-induced failings in FLWS?
-
What are the differentiated impacts of changing FLWS for different genders and age groups, for marginalised groups and indigenous communities?
-
How do climate impacts amplify root causes of migration, displacement and insecurity in fragility and conflict affected systems, and how do affected groups and institutions cope?
-
How can humanitarian responses and preventive actions be designed and better aligned with development and climate action, and peace and resilience building?
-
How can effective management of displacement and reducing displacement risk contribute to peacebuilding and security?
-
How can analysis of human mobility dynamics - including migration, displacement, resettlements – inform and contribute to the success of anticipatory action and the strengthening of resilience of FLWS against the negative impacts of climate change?
-
How can governance and institutional arrangements (including policies, legal frameworks, administrative structures) at different levels reduce the risk of displacement, fragility and conflict, and promote peacebuilding and resilience in the context of climate change?
Research that answers other research questions than the ones listed above is also welcome, provided it contributes to our understanding of the climate security nexus and the relationship between climate change and human mobility.
Who is behind the programme?
The Africa Climate Mobility Academy 2024: Climate, Peace and Mobility is a collaboration between the Climate Mobility in Africa Research Network, Masinde Muliro University for Science and Technology and Alliance Bioversity & CIAT/ CGIAR Climate Security, under the Climate, Peace and Displacement Partnership of the CGIAR FMC Initiative.