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Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS (2025)

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

National Research Foundation Programme in Geopolitics and the Arts of Africa 

Fine Art Department, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa

Suitable candidates are invited to apply for Postdoctoral Fellowships in Art History/Visual Studies or cognate disciplines that engage with the research themes below. Fellows will be hosted by the National Research Foundation SARChI Chair in Geopolitics and the Arts of Africa at Rhodes University in Makhanda, South Africa.

The successful Postdoctoral Fellows will be active participants in the NRF research team that is made up of the Research Chair (Prof Ruth Simbao), Research Associates (based in South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, China, Brazil, Jamaica and Australia), Postgraduate Students and Affiliated Artists.

GOALS OF THE RESEARCH PROGRAMME 


* Produce high-quality research outputs in the visual and performing arts

* Foster a culture of academic sharing and cooperation by working on related research themes

* Develop research capacity through a co-operative research culture

* Build collaborations with scholars and artists across the African continent and within the Global South

 

RESEARCH THEMES (2021-2025)

* Art, Activism and Social Justice

* Grounding, Reducing, Decelerating: Art, Environments and Materialities

* Rising Souths: Reorienting Art’s Futures

* Epistemological Intimacies: Ways of Practicing and Being as Ways of Knowing

 

 SUMMARY OF FELLOWSHIP CRITERIA

* Candidates must have obtained their PhD in a relevant discipline within the last five years. (If your PhD thesis is currently under examination, you may still apply, but confirmation of the award is dependent on the outcome of the examination).

* Research needs to connect meaningfully to at least one of the Research Themes

* Candidates must be of exceptional merit as evidenced by the quality of their research

* Preference will be given to candidates based on the African continent and in the Global South

* Candidates need to demonstrate an ability to submit for publication at least two new articles based on original research in relevant accredited journals during the Fellowship

 

CONDITIONS OF THE AWARD

* Successful candidates must reside in Makhanda, South Africa, for the full duration of the Fellowship (Fellows may attend relevant conferences, and can apply for support if they are presenting their work)

* The Fellowship cannot be held concurrently with supplementary funding or salary

* The University expects that all publications, creative works and other academic products of the Fellowship will bear appropriate acknowledgement with full affiliation to Rhodes University and the NRF/DSI Research Chair in Geopolitics and the Arts of Africa

* The University reserves the right to request the refund of any funds paid to the Fellow should the Fellow terminate her or his contract prior to its completion 

 

APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINE

Please email a brief Expression of Interest to Dr. Perpetua Chinomona (p.chinomona@ru.ac.za) in order to request an Application Form and a synopsis of the Research Themes. In the Expression of Interest include the following: 1) your discipline and area of research, 2) the date your PhD was awarded (date on the certificate) or date of PhD submission if examination is still in process, 3) the institution that awarded the degree, and 4) your current institutional affiliation (if applicable). 

Submit the completed Application Form and accompanying documents listed on the form to Dr. Perpetua Chinomona (p.chinomona@ru.ac.za) by 1 September 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Perpetua Chinomona.

Further information on the research programme: www.ru.ac.za/artsofafrica/ and www.facebook.com/groups/artsloungeafrica/.  

IMAGE: Nompumelelo Edith Bukani, Crocodile (2023). Linocut.  Photograph by Viwe Madinda. Bukani was a RAW Residency artist under the Residencies for Artists and Writers programme. She created the exhibition, My Name Will Be Mine One Day for the RAW Spot Gallery in Makhanda, South Africa.


Rhodes University Postdoctoral Research Fellowships 2025

The University Council has established several Rhodes University Postdoctoral Research Fellowships across all faculties, which may be awarded for one year with the possibility of renewal.

Please note renewals are not automatic and current RU Postdoctoral Fellowship holders will need to apply for a Renewal.

RU Postdoc Application

RU Postdoc Renewal Application

Closing date: 19 July 2024

Postdoctoral Fellowships foster existing research and scholarly or creative activities within Rhodes University departments and institutes. Ideally, a Postdoctoral Fellow's proposed work will closely complement existing programs in the host department.

  • Although there is no age restriction, potential Postdoctoral Fellows must hold a Doctoral Degree, awarded within the last five years, preferably from an institution other than Rhodes University, and recognized as appropriate to the discipline for which the Postdoctoral Fellowship is sought. Successful candidates must be of exceptional merit as evidenced by the quality and corpus of publications or other recognized forms of achievement relevant to the Postdoctoral Fellow's discipline. The Postdoctoral Fellowship will be awarded strictly on merit.
  • An applicant who has not completed their PhD  must have submitted the PhD thesis by the end of 2024. In these circumstances, the Research Office will require written assurance from the applicant's Host that there is a reasonable expectation that the doctoral degree will be successfully examined by early 2025.
  • Applications should be made through Heads of Departments or Directors of Research Institutes.

Value of the Postdoctoral Fellowship

Each Postdoctoral Fellowship is R240 000 per annum. The Postdoctoral Fellowship cannot be held concurrently with any employment or supplementary funding.The payments are made quarterly in advance.

Conditions of Award

The University expects all publications, creative works, and other academic products of the Postdoctoral Fellowship will bear appropriate acknowledgment with full affiliation to Rhodes University. The University reserves the right to co-ownership of inventions and patents directly emanating from research conducted under the sponsorship of the Fellowship.

The University reserves the right to request the refund of any fellowship paid to the Fellow should the Fellow terminate their contract before its completion.

Award of the Postdoctoral Fellowship

Applications for the Fellowships should be made through the potential host department and then directed to the Research Office (research-admin@ru.ac.za). Awards will be determined by a committee comprising the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research,Innovation and Strategic Partnerships (Chair), the Director: Research Office, and Faculty Deans.

The committee is not bound to award any or all of the Fellowships in one year.

 

 

 

 

 

Last Modified: Thu, 08 Aug 2024 15:52:29 SAST