Deadline: 1 June 2025
The African German Centre of Excellence for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science (UKUDLA) invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships in the area of sustainable, resilient food systems and data science.
Objectives
- UKUDLA’s primary objective is to advance the expertise of master’s students, PhD candidates, early-career researchers, and university lecturers in agri-food systems and applied data science. It also aims to enhance teaching methodologies and mentorship programmes within these interdisciplinary fields.
- For this purpose, postdoctoral fellowships for food systems-related research are being awarded to individuals from the target group described below and are selected through a competitive process.
- By training future academic and professional leaders, the programme contributes to the following long-term impacts:
- Qualified professionals’ involvement in agri-food systems and applied data science-related research projects in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Graduates strengthening education and research in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Structural strengthening and regional networking of partner institutions and partner universities
- Promoting knowledge exchange with and transfer to stakeholders of the agri-food systems.
Benefits
- Stipend: A monthly stipend of €1670 will be provided to fellows for the two-year fellowship. Payment schedules may vary according to the procedures of the home institutions
- UKUDLA Graduate Centre educational modules, short courses, summer schools and workshops are integral to the UKUDLA project. Fellows will have an opportunity to apply to participate in these educational activities and are expected to contribute to their organisation as well
- African postdoctoral researchers can apply for an additional academic visit at the German partner institution for a period of three/six months. During this exchange, the African postdocs will be able to intensify their research and develop their skills in close collaboration with the German partners by learning new methods, participating in teaching modules or advanced data analysis
- To ensure that the results of the postdoc research projects are accessible to an international audience, UKUDLA encourages scholars to apply for UKUDLA travel grants to attend the annual international “Tropentag” Conference. The Tropentag has proven its ability as an interdisciplinary high-level exchange platform for research in tropical and subtropical agriculture, natural resource management and rural development. The submission of an abstract to be presented as a poster or oral presentation at the Tropentag will be obligatory to be eligible for the travel grant
- Additional research funds in reasonable amounts for material costs, equipment, consumables, labour, local travel, etc., are available and can be applied for.
Duration
- Fellowships are awarded for a duration of 24 months.
Target Groups
- Candidates with a doctoral degree in a discipline broadly linked to food systems or data sciences are interested in how these fields intersect
- Candidates who are motivated and able to conduct advanced academic research, to deepen their expertise, develop new skills, and contribute to knowledge generation and transfer
- Candidates who are not currently involved in another fellowship and are prepared to undertake the fellowship in a full-time role
- Candidates who can demonstrate their leadership potential/experience and/or commitment to community engagement and impact will be given preference in the application process
- Candidates who have English language proficiency, with one of the following qualifications as a minimum requirement: TOEFL 79/80 points or IELTS Band 6. Candidates who can prove that English has been the language of instruction at least since secondary school will also be considered.
Applications Requirements
- Graduates who have successfully completed a doctoral degree
- Clearly show motivation and strong commitment through a written statement
- Have a thorough knowledge of the language of instruction (English)
- Have completed their last university degree not more than six years ago at the time of application
- Must already be in an African country either as a national or permanent resident
- Candidates must be able to supply two academic references.
For more information, visit CoE-FS.
