Wadsworth African PhD Fellowships in Anthropology 2021 for African Students
The Wadsworth African Fellowships are intended to provide support for African students undertaking study leading to a Ph.D. at a South African university that can provide them with international-level training in anthropology (including biological anthropology and archaeology). Currently, applications to the University of Witwatersrand or The University of Cape Town are given priority.
Scholarship Worth
The annual fellowship is $17,500 and can be used towards travel, living expenses, tuition, student fees, insurance, books, research expenses, and any other relevant categories of expenditure while studying at the Host institution. The fellowship is renewable for up to two additional years upon successful completion of each preceding year’s study. A separate application can be made for an additional year of funding to support dissertation write-up.
Application Deadline: 15th December 2020
Eligible Countries: African countries
To Be Taken At (Country): South Africa
Eligible Field of Study: Anthropology
Type: Fellowship
About the Scholarship
In honor of Frank Wadsworth, Wenner-Gren Foundation Board of Trustee member from 1970 to 2006, the Foundation has changed the name of the Professional Development International Fellowship Program to the Wadsworth Fellowship Program.
Dr. Frank Wadsworth worked tirelessly for the Foundation. More than any other individual since the founding of the Wenner-Gren Foundation, he is responsible for the survival and wellbeing of the Foundation, which he steered through a period of crisis during his chairmanship. Making hard and unpopular decisions, he was instrumental in putting Wenner-Gren on a sound fiscal basis, and through his scholarly integrity and personal grace, restored the trust of the anthropological profession. His diligence, courage, wisdom, and dedication ensured that the Foundation would continue to benefit anthropology long into the future.
Eligibility
- The Wadsworth African Fellowship is intended for young African scholars who may not otherwise be able to pursue a doctoral degree in anthropology. Normally, applicants will be under 35 years of age at the time they begin their fellowship. They must be citizens and residents of an African country at the time of application. They must also be members of an underrepresented group in academic anthropology/archaeology.
- Applicants must be prepared to demonstrate their reasons for choosing their Host Institution (the institution where they plan to study). Currently applications to the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Cape Town are given priority.
- A Host Institution can have only two active Wadsworth African fellows. Because anthropology can be taught in a variety of departments (Social Anthropology, Archaeology, Anatomy, etc.) it is expected that there will normally be only one active fellow per department at any time.
- Applicants may have already begun their training for the doctoral degree at a South African university but they must demonstrate why their funding circumstances have changed and why they now do not have sufficient funding to complete their degree.
- Students who have advanced beyond their first year of doctoral studies/training are not eligible to apply.
- At the time they submit their application, candidates must have an application for doctoral admission pending at a South African institution that will provide training.
- The applicant must have a Host Sponsor, or supervisor, who is a member of the South African institution at which the candidate plans to pursue training. The Host Sponsor must be willing to assume responsibility for overseeing the candidate’s training. A Host Sponsor cannot sponsor more than one applicant per funding season.
- The applicant must have a Home Sponsor who is a member of the institution at which the applicant received his or her prior degree/s. The Home Sponsor must be prepared to supply a letter of reference for the applicant. In some cases the Host Institution may be the same institution where the applicant received his or her prior degree/s. If this situation applies, the Home Sponsor should be the Head of a relevant department at the Host Institution or another member of the academic staff who is familiar with the applicant, but who will not be acting as the Host Sponsor.
- Applicants may submit only one application per funding season. They may not apply through two or more Host Institutions/Departments at the same time.
- If the Foundation receives more than one application for a single South African department, the Foundation will contact that department to have them prioritize their applicants for potential funding.
- Applications exclusively seeking support for fieldwork expenses and/or dissertation write-up are not accepted. Applicants should apply to the Dissertation Fieldwork Grant program for fieldwork expenses. The Foundation only funds dissertation write-up for Wadsworth African Fellows who have received funding for training purposes from the Wenner-Gren Foundation prior to undertaking their fieldwork.
- Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds in addition to the Wadsworth African Fellowship to complete their training at the Host Institution.
Requirements and Conditions of the Wadsworth African Fellowship
If a Wadsworth African Fellowship is awarded to you, you will be subject to the following requirements and conditions and asked to sign this statement as a legally binding agreement. Please read it carefully.
If a Wadsworth International Fellowship is awarded to you, you will be subject to the following requirements and conditions and asked to sign this statement as a legally binding agreement. Please read it carefully.
1. Scope of Fellowship: Fellowship funds may only be spent on items included in the approved budget. The Fellow may not substantially modify his/her course of study supported by the fellowship, including changes to the Host Sponsor or Host Institution, without prior approval from the Foundation. Fellowship funds cannot be used for institutional overhead.
2. Return of funds: Fellowship funds must be returned to the Foundation if:
1. used for purposes not approved by the Foundation;
2. any remain unexpended at the termination of the fellowship;
3. unused because fellowship was not completed;
4. overlapping funding was received from another agency;
5. the fellowship does not commence within a reasonable time after acceptance of the funds.
3. Reporting Requirements: The following items are to be submitted upon the completion of each year of the Fellowship. Please note that if these requirements are not fulfilled, the Fellow will become ineligible for further support from the Wenner-Gren Foundation.
1. Report from the Fellow: Progress Reports are required at the end of each fellowship period and are to be submitted as part of the Renewal Application. Upon conclusion of the final year of Fellowship, the Fellow must sum up his/her accomplishments in a Final Report (2-3 pages).
2. Financial Accounting: The Fellow must submit an accounting for the dollar amount expended for each Fellowship period. This accounting is to be approved and signed by the Host Sponsor. Supporting records such as receipts and vouchers should not be sent to the Foundation, but should be retained by the Fellow.
3. Transcript: If the Fellow is registered for coursework, a copy of his/her transcript must be sent to the Foundation at the end of the academic year.
4. Host Sponsor’s Evaluative Report: The Host Sponsor must provide a confidential progress report at the end of each Fellowship period. The report should address the Fellow’s academic performance, progress in language ability (where applicable), and any other matters pertinent to the Fellow’s training and achievements. It should include the Host Sponsor’s candid assessment of Fellow’s ability to complete the course of training undertaken, as well as a realistic estimate of the time required to complete the training. At the end of the training period, the Host Sponsor must provide the Foundation with a final report on the Fellow’s accomplishments.
5. Upon Completion of the Training, the Fellow must inform the Foundation at the time of his/her return to Home Country and provide a current address.
4. Permission: To the extent that the grantee provides to the Foundation any photograph, film or other materials created in connection with the project, the Foundation may use these materials for any purpose related to the Foundation’s activities, including posting such materials on its website. The Foundation may use the grantee’s name, description of the research project, name/s of organization/s with which he/she is associated, and any photograph of him/her for any purpose relating to the Foundation’s activities.
5. Wenner-Gren Grants are made in accordance with all laws applicable in the United States of America, including but not limited to the provisions of the USA Patriot Act. Fellowship funds may not be used by any fellow for any purposes that would be in violation of regulations governed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Controls. The fellow confirms compliance with any applicable U.S. sanctions regulations including regulations pertaining to the Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN List). For further information on the regulations, please consult the U.S. Department of Treasury website at: www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac.
General Criteria of Evaluation
- The Foundation is looking for applicants who are talented scholars, who may not otherwise be able to pursue a doctoral degree and who show potential for developing the field of anthropology in their home countries. Priority will be given to applicants from underrepresented groups in academic anthropology.
- Applicants must show evidence of academic excellence in their prior training in anthropology or a related discipline.
- Applicants should make a convincing case for choosing the Host Institution and the program of training they will receive at the Host Institution.
- The Foundation places considerable importance on the reference from the Host Sponsor. Applicants are encouraged to make personal contact with the Host Sponsor prior to applying for the Wadsworth African Fellowship and to develop with that sponsor an appropriate program of training and study leading to the doctoral degree.
- Priority is given to applicants with well-articulated training and research goals. It is also important to demonstrate a good fit between the Host Institution, Host Sponsor, and the applicant’s research goals.
Application Procedures - To ensure a competitive application the Foundation advises applicants to follow closely all the procedures for completing the application.
- Applicants must submit all application forms and other required application materials must be submitted online. If it is not possible to submit your application online because of inadequate internet access, you must notify the Foundation at least one week before the deadline to arrange an alternative method ([email protected]).
- The online portal is open for applications two months before the application deadline.
- The Foundation will consider only one application for each South African university department each year. If the Foundation receives more than one application per department, the Department Head will be asked to prioritize their candidates for the fellowship.
- Applications and all supporting materials such as CVs, transcripts, etc. must be in English.
- The Wadsworth African Fellowship application asks for the following categories of information, which must be submitted by the December 15 deadline:
General information about the applicant, the Home Institution and Sponsor, and the Host Institution and Sponsor
The answers to three questions about your background and your proposed plan of study, your research interests, and your professional goals or plans. Applicants are advised to read the questions and instructions carefully as they develop their answers.
A detailed budget
Copies of official transcripts from your Home Institution. Provide a translation if they are not in English.
Language Competency: Where applicable, the applicant must provide evidence of competency in the language of the institution in which he/she will be pursuing training
Curriculum vitae for the applicant and Host Sponsor - Letters from Sponsors. The applicant should request letters from both the Home Sponsor and the Host Sponsor, to be sent directly to the Foundation by the application deadline.
- Please note that actual copies of travel permits, visas, and/or certificates of language competency are not required at the application stage. If an application is successful, the Foundation will expect that the necessary permits, visas, and certificates are in hand. Fellowship funds will not be awarded until the Foundation has received copies of all relevant permits, visas, and certificates.
- Do not send any other material, such as additional letters of recommendation, computer disks, manuscripts, publications, photographs, or recordings to the Foundation in support of your application. This material will not be used in the review process and cannot be returned.
- Before submitting your application, please read the information on US tax issues if you are intending to be present in the US during your fellowship period. Click here for more information.
Access The Online Application
Online Application Instructions: Wadsworth African Fellowship accepts andpplications and required attachments using an online application service provided by SurveyMonkey Apply (Read their privacy statement.)
If it is not possible to submit your application online because of inadequate internet access in your country of origin, you must notify the Foundation at least one week before the deadline to arrange an alternative method. ([email protected]).
Begin an Online Application
Instructions for preparing and submitting an online application
1. You must use the official application offered through SurveyMonkey Apply
2. SurveyMonkey Apply requires you to create a user account by supplying and verifying an email that will serve as your primary means of contact. Once you have a user account, you can begin the online application process.
3. Eligibility Quiz: You must complete an Eligibility Quiz to determine if you have met all the pre-requisites to apply for funding under the program.
4. Once your eligibility is verified, the system will assign you four tasks:
A Wadsworth African Fellowship Application Form to fill out and submit. (Please see our Application Procedures page for instructions.)
Three Required Attachments:
Applicant Curriculum Vitae
Host Sponsor’s Curriculum Vitae
Applicant’s Official Transcripts from Home Institution
5. Please submit PDFs of the required attachments. Free PDF editors and converters are readily available on the internet.
6. You can save the information you have entered or uploaded by clicking “Save and Continue Editing” at the bottom of each page.
7. To complete each task, please be sure to click “Mark as Complete” when finished.
8. Notifications: You will receive all notifications by e-mail.
Once you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email.
If your application materials are incomplete, you will receive a second email specifying the additional information required for review.
Notifications of grant decisions will be made within 4 months of the application deadline.
Visit the Scholarship website on http://www.wennergren.org/programs/wadsworth-african-fellowships for details and application.
