Funded Visiting Chair for African Social Scientists 2026: Claude Ake Visiting Chair — Three Months in Uppsala with Tax Free Stipend and Travel Grants

If you are a senior social scientist based at an African university who studies war and peace, conflict resolution, human rights, democracy, or development — this opportunity was designed with you in mind. The Claude Ake Visiting Chair brings a short, intense residency in Uppsala, Sweden, where you can push a research project forward, connect with European and global colleagues, and return home with new collaborations and fresh momentum.

This is not a long-term relocation. It is a focused research residency: three months of concentrated time, an institutional host with serious academic networks, and a package that includes a tax-free stipend plus travel and accommodation support. The Chair is run jointly by the Nordic Africa Institute and the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, and it carries a strong intellectual and moral lineage — it honors Claude Ake, the Nigerian scholar and public intellectual whose work blended rigorous analysis with a commitment to social justice.

Applications are due February 1, 2026. Below I walk you through what this award offers, who makes a strong candidate, exactly what to include in your application, how selection looks from the inside, and step-by-step advice to make your submission stand out.

At a Glance

Why the Claude Ake Visiting Chair Matters

Short stays at the right host can reshape a research trajectory. Picture three months free from daily administrative duties, with access to a university library and colleagues who think about similar problems in new ways. That concentrated time is ideal for finishing a theoretical chapter, piloting comparative fieldwork designs, or writing a policy brief aimed at decision makers.

The Chair’s emphasis on social justice and politically engaged scholarship gives it a distinctive profile. This is not merely about publishing another article. The selection committee favors work that speaks to pressing social and political concerns in African societies — whether that means documenting rights abuses, designing conflict mediation strategies, or analyzing democratic ruptures. If your project has an explicit public or policy orientation, your application should make that clear.

Another important point: the Chair is explicitly co‑funded by a major Swedish research institution and the university’s peace and conflict department. That institutional backing translates into a real network — seminars, potential co‑supervision, and visibility in Nordic and wider European forums.

What This Opportunity Offers

You get three months of protected research time in Uppsala, a city with strong academic resources and an active community around peace and conflict studies. Recipients receive a tax‑free stipend or scholarship to cover living costs during the stay. In addition, the program provides travel and accommodation grants — not just a token reimbursement but practical support to make the stay feasible.

Beyond money and time, recipients gain access to an international network of scholars and policymakers. The Chair holder typically participates in seminars hosted by the Department of Peace and Conflict Research and the Nordic Africa Institute, and there are opportunities to present work and get critical feedback from researchers with different theoretical and methodological commitments. These interactions often lead to co‑authorships, invitations to conferences, and new comparative projects.

Another practical benefit: administrative and logistical support from the host institutions. That means help with housing arrangements, local introductions, and sometimes modest funds for hosting a public lecture or workshop during your stay. Finally, the Chair carries prestige. Claude Ake was a figure whose name signals commitment to rigorous scholarship and public engagement — being selected can raise your profile in ways that matter for promotion or future grant competition.

Who Should Apply

This Chair is aimed at senior scholars based at African universities who have what the announcement calls “professorial competence” — essentially, established academics at the rank of professor or associate professor. But seniority alone isn’t enough. The strongest candidates combine an established record of scholarship with a project that benefits from a concentrated residency in Uppsala.

Imagine three concrete examples. First, a West African professor of political science who is finalizing a book manuscript on local conflict mediation practices and wants time to finish comparative chapters and seek feedback from European peers. Second, an associate professor of human rights law who needs a quiet period to draft a major policy paper and to meet with scholars who work on transitional justice in Scandinavia. Third, a senior development studies scholar modeling governance outcomes who wants to use the residency to run a data analysis sprint and start drafting a high‑impact article.

The program encourages applications from female candidates, and selection committees often view gender diversity as one criterion among many. If you are a female scholar with a strong project, the program explicitly welcomes your application. Applicants should be available to spend three months in Uppsala sometime between mid‑August and mid‑December 2026. If you cannot commit to that window, this Chair will not be a fit.

Required Materials (What to Prepare and How to Shape Them)

Applications must be complete and tightly argued. The basic packet includes a full, updated curriculum vitae, a short abstract, a 3–5 page research proposal, two representative publications, a signed recommendation letter from a senior scholar or policymaker in your field, and an institutional letter confirming support from your Head of Department or Dean.

Write the CV to highlight research leadership: list positions, major grants, PhD supervision, and recent publications. Put your most relevant items at the top. For the short abstract, aim for 200–300 words that crisply state the research question, method, and why Uppsala is the right place to do this work.

The heart of the application is the 3–5 page research proposal. Treat it as a compact but persuasive argument. Start with a single paragraph that states the problem and the expected contribution. Follow with clear objectives, a short methodological plan, and a realistic timeline for the three months. End with expected outcomes — a draft chapter, a policy brief, a data set, or a conference paper — and how you will disseminate findings.

Select the two publications that best connect to the proposed project. If you’re proposing work on conflict resolution, pick pieces showing your conceptual and empirical grounding in that area. Include PDFs and ensure they are the versions you’d prefer reviewers to see (published PDFs are fine).

The recommendation should be signed and specific. A sentence like “I strongly support this excellent candidate” is weaker than “Professor X’s research on rural peacemaking in Country Y provides a necessary empirical foundation for the proposed comparative study; I recommend them for the Claude Ake Chair.” The institutional letter should confirm that your home department supports the leave and that you will be able to spend the residency in Uppsala.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

1. Tell a focused, realistic story. A 3–5 page proposal cannot cover everything. Pick one or two tightly defined goals you can plausibly reach in three months. Explain the deliverables — “a draft of Chapter 3 and a policy brief for local implementers” is better than vague aspirations.

2. Make the Uppsala fit explicit. Committees want to see why the host matters. Mention seminars you want to attend, faculty you hope to consult (by name), or archival or library resources at Uppsala that you will use. That shows you’ve thought through where the time will be spent.

3. Show prior work that proves feasibility. If you have pilot data, a working paper, or a methodological proof‑of‑concept, summarize it briefly. Small proof points reduce perceived risk.

4. Get a strong recommender who knows both your work and the broader field. A recommendation from a policymaker can be powerful if your project connects to practice; an academic letter should speak to your scholarship, ability to complete projects, and collegiality.

5. Keep the CV readable. Use headings, keep the publications list to the last 10–15 most relevant items, and flag work that relates to the proposed project.

6. Plan dissemination. Describe one or two concrete ways you will share results during or after the residency: a seminar at Uppsala, a policy brief circulated to partners in your country, or a public lecture.

7. Proofread and get external readers. Have colleagues both inside and outside your specialty read your proposal. If a non‑specialist can grasp your project, the selection committee — which may include members who are not field specialists — will too.

Application Timeline (Work Backwards from February 1, 2026)

Start preparing at least eight weeks before the deadline. A practical schedule: by early December 2025, identify your project and potential recommenders. Use December to draft the research proposal and the short abstract. In January, finalize the CV, collect signed letters, and have three people read your packet (a senior scholar in your field, a colleague in your university’s grants office, and a non‑specialist).

Two weeks before the deadline, complete final edits and assemble PDFs. Submit at least 48 hours early to avoid last‑minute upload glitches. The selection committee typically convenes in the months after the deadline, with announcements following once decisions are finalized (the host will provide exact notification timing).

If you are selected, you should coordinate immediately with your home department about leave arrangements, obtain any required visas or travel documents as soon as travel dates are confirmed, and begin a reading and meeting plan for your time in Uppsala.

What Makes an Application Stand Out

Committees look for intellectual rigor and institutional fit. Standout applications combine a clear research question, methodologically sound approach, and a realistic plan for what will be produced in three months. They also show how the residency will meaningfully change the project: for instance, allowing for comparative interviews with Nordic practitioners, access to specialized archives, or intensive writing time to complete a policy brief.

Specificity matters. Explicit deliverables, named potential collaborators at Uppsala, and evidence of prior productivity increase confidence. Selection panels also value projects that address pressing social problems with a strong African perspective. Demonstrate how your work speaks to local actors and how it will be useful beyond academic circles.

Finally, clarity and polish are telling. A well‑structured proposal that makes a tight argument and avoids jargon conveys that you will use the residency productively.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

One frequent error is proposing too much. Three months is short — aim for a realistic workplan. Another pitfall is submitting vague recommendation letters; ask recommenders to be specific about your accomplishments and fit for the Chair. Don’t treat the short abstract as an afterthought; it’s often the first thing reviewers read and should crisply communicate the project’s novelty and aims.

Avoid neglecting administrative logistics. If your institutional support letter is weak or noncommittal, reviewers may worry you cannot actually be released for the residency. Also, don’t overlook formatting: missing pages, unreadable PDFs, or unlabelled files make life hard for reviewers and create a bad first impression.

Finally, don’t ignore the fit with the Chair’s intellectual priorities. If your work is purely methodological and does not connect to social justice, peace, or democratic processes, make the linkage clear or reconsider applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who can apply?
A: Senior social scientists at African universities with professorial competence (professor or associate professor). The Chair targets scholars who combine academic excellence with an interest in issues such as conflict, democracy, human rights, and development.

Q: How long is the stay and when must it happen?
A: The Chair lasts three months and must be taken between mid‑August and mid‑December 2026. Applicants must be available for a consecutive three‑month period within that window.

Q: Is the stipend taxable?
A: The announcement states the stipend is tax‑free; confirm specific tax treatment with the host and your home institution if you have questions about national tax rules.

Q: Can I bring family?
A: The Chair covers a stipend and travel/accommodation grants intended for the academic. If you plan to bring family, clarify expectations with the host well in advance and check whether additional costs will be covered.

Q: Do I need to teach?
A: The Chair is primarily a research residency. Occasional seminars or guest lectures at Uppsala may be invited but you should not expect a formal teaching load.

Q: Can I reapply if not selected?
A: Generally yes. If you are not selected, request feedback if available, strengthen weak areas, and consider applying in a future cycle.

Q: What language skills are required?
A: English is the working language for most seminars and supervision. Knowledge of Swedish is not required.

Next Steps — How to Apply

Ready to move forward? Start by reviewing the official announcement and instructions on the program page to confirm any updates or fine print. Gather your CV and think through project deliverables in practical terms. Reach out now to the senior scholar or policymaker who will write your recommendation and to your Head of Department for the institutional letter — these two signed documents often take the longest.

Assemble the 3–5 page proposal with a clear opening paragraph that states the research question and what you will achieve in three months. Choose two publications that most directly relate to this project and prepare them as clean PDFs. Aim to submit well before the February 1, 2026 deadline to avoid last‑minute technical problems.

Ready to apply? Visit the official opportunity page and submit your materials here:
Apply now: https://web103.reachmee.com/ext/I021/1853/job?site=6&lang=SE&validator=07b093e960011a9eb62b5f2bed223264&job_id=p81

If you want, paste a draft of your 300‑word abstract or your project timeline here and I’ll help tighten the language or suggest specific scholars at Uppsala to name in your proposal.