Apply for a place on the WARIA Programme

Applications are invited from Early Career Researchers (within 4 years of PhD) and Post-Graduate Research Students currently studying or working in an African DAC listed country to participate in the British Academy funded writing workshop series Writing and Researching the Political Economy of Inequality in Africa. 

The programme is delivered and supported by established academics at Leeds Beckett University UK, Leeds Trinity University, University of Johannesburg, S.A, the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies , Nigeria. The programme is supported by the British Academy.

The aim of the programme is to develop researcher skills, individual and collaborative research outputs related to inequality in Africa, based around two main research themes: i). Climate change, just transitions and gendered inequalities. ii). Addressing socio-economic inequality through regional integration in Southern Africa.

The workshops will provide practical support for Early Career Researchers and Post-Graduate Research Students, focussing on undertaking research, publishing, research funding, dissemination of research and career development. The programme will include online meetings and workshops between October 2024 and January 2025, and conclude with a 3 day in person workshop, in February 2025 at the University of Johannesburg.

The programme is supported by the free, open access online course Writing and Researching the Political Economy of Inequality , created by the workshop convenors Professor Alex Nunn and Professor Sophia Price. All participants will be required to complete the online course, which will run alongside the workshop programme.

Successful applicants will:

- Complete the online Writing and Researching the Political Economy of Inequality course

- Attend 4 online meetings/ workshops and an in person 3 day workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa

- Develop a piece of research focussed on one of the Programme’s research themes.- Be supported to disseminate their research findings.

- Have an allocated mentor to support their participation in the workshop programme.

Applications are welcomed from researchers working on either of the workshop’s research themes.

To be eligible applicants must be a national of an African country on the DAC list and be either working or studying in an African country on the DAC list (Available here: https://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/DAC_List_ODA_Recipients2018to2020_flows_En.pdf)

Applicants will be selected according to the following criteria: 

(i) A demonstrable research focus on the political economy of inequality in Africa related to one of the two given research themes. 

(ii) The capacity to translate this into excellent research outputs, 

(iii) The willingness to use this for research impact relevant to SDG 5 and 10

(iv) A commitment to a programme of work between and after the workshops, designed to ensure the delivery of outputs, outcomes and impact.

(v) This will involve networking and collaboration between and post-workshops.