WE REQUIRE THE FOLLOWING TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC HEALTH
- Community-centric solutions that ensure true buy-in and acceptance.
- Universal access to effective and efficient healthcare, targeting contextual and individual level factors of a given geographic locations. Thus shifting paradigms from a one size fits all framework.
- Climate change and public health are inexplicably linked, and both require our urgent attention.
- Mental health and violence prevention are key principals to ensure the sustainability of public health or climate related interventions.
- Both women and men are part of the solution, and we need to reconsider out verticalised approach to healthcare solutions which privilege one gender over the other, as this widens the inequality gap.
- Education is THE most important factor in addressing Global public health concerns.
Resilience and personal drive
Independent thinking
Catalysing academic curiosity
FELLOWSHIP FUNDING
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH DYNAMIC SCHOLARSHIP MECHANISMS
Nuturing potential takes time and effective support mechanisms. We understand what these mechanisms are and how to support the achievement of one's potential.
South Africa produced only 2 797 Doctoral graduates in 2016. This equated to 13% of public higher education graduations, with Master’s Degrees comprising 22.5% of all graduations. By comparison, and in the same year, the UK produced 22,835 Doctoral graduates and 164,550 Masters graduates.
In order to compete in the Global economy, South Africa needs to be investing in a solid foundation of future innovators, disruptors, and change makers. Student fellowships enable the completion of tertiary qualifications by disadvantaged students due to racial, gender or financial constraints. Our fellowships are awarded to students studying within the ambit of STEM. We also fund cutting edge work in the social sciences.
There are three primary mechanisms through which we award fellowship funding: Masters Fellowship, Doctoral Fellowship and a Post Doctoral Fellowship. We have drawn from a number of funding models, including the Swedish model of funding, the Wellcome Trust Fellowship funding mechanisms and more. Thus we can ensure that our students are effectively equipped to focus on their studies while learning meaningful business acumen skills. All of our awards include a salary stipend, a computer, and data/airtime for research and assignment work, basic financial training, and career mentorship. Funding for research projects is degree and project specific, and awards are based upon availability of funding, project impact, and the fellows tenacity to manage the body of work they propose. Funding decisions are supported by a staged application process, and the final decision is made by an independent, expert and interdisciplinary review panel.
Support a student fellow. Change the trajectory of future generations.
FELLOWSHIP FUNDING
GROWING THE NEXT GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS & THOUGHT LEADERS
The African Potential Foundation is committed to catapulting Africa to achieving greater economic sustainability. All the while meaningfully addressing gender and race inequalities through innovations.
Our students benefit from a coaching programme enabling them to develop the skill sets required to be resilient, independent thinking leaders in their chosen field(s) of expertise. Our fellowship coaching is geared to guiding our fellows towards an entrepreneurial approach to research and their working careers.
Our fellows will all be required to attend an annual fiscal management workshop. This is aimed at ensuring that they build the fiscal skills required by professionals to manage fellowship awards, hold their host institutions accountable for fiscal management of the awarded fellowship funding, and also develop a productive, longterm relationship with financial oversight practices. We see this as a vital aspect of developing strong academic thought leaders who can contribute to the economic growth of South Africa.
FELLOWSHIP FUNDING
MASTERS FELLOWSHIPS
The African Potential Foundation will select top masters student candidates who we will support through the reading of their degree. Students will be selected through a process of weighted ranking.
This will take into consideration scientific merit, applicants resume, and B-BBBEEE candidacy. Applications will be reviewed by two independent academics within the chosen field of study, and 2 internal reviewers. Final participant scores will be ranked and only the top applicants will be offered funding in line with the funding available for that fiscal period.
Masters fellowship funding is intended to cover costs associated with University fees, all text-books required, a laptop computer, funding towards a research project, study printing, and other relevant study related resources. Fellows will also receive a basic living allowance. This allows our Masters Fellows to focus on their studies. Given South Africa’s inequalities, first generation university goers often struggle to balance the need to provide for their families, with their drive to grow and innovate in the lives. Our Masters Student Fellowship is geared to supporting all young, driven and talented students to achieve their potential. This is an 18 months funding mechanism intended to expedite the completion of a Master’s degree.
FELLOWSHIP FUNDING
DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
The African Potential Foundation considers the doctoral years of research to be the fundamental building blocks of ones’ career. They are a time to network, to begin taking ownership of one’s career and research trajectory, and to expand one’s thinking.
We select top doctoral candidates who we will support throughout the reading of their degree at a South African-based University. Students will be selected through a process of weighted ranking. This will take into consideration scientific merit, applicants academic history and working resume, authorship on publications, and B-BBBEEE candidacy. Applications will be reviewed by an internal review panel. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete a full application which will be reviewed by two independent academics within the chosen field of study, and 2 internal reviewers. Candidates will again be short listed and finalists invited to a panel interview discussion that will include reviewers and other specialists from across various fields of study. Final participant scores will be ranked and only the top applicants will be offered funding in line with the funding available for the fiscal period.
Doctoral fellowship funding is intended to cover costs associated with University fees, a laptop computer, funding towards a research project, study printing, and other relevant study related resources. Fellows will also receive a living allowance. This allows our Doctoral Fellows to focus exclusively on their studies and research projects. Doctoral candidates often struggle to balance the need to provide for a family, with their drive to innovate, expand their knowledge-base, and drive their careers in a consistently upward trajectory.
Our Doctoral Student Fellowship is geared to supporting driven and talented doctoral students to achieve their potential, and to begin carving a niche career that will flourish in time. We want to support them to do what they love and to love what they do. Thus feeding their talent and their passion, and allowing them to begin thinking “outside of the box”. This funding mechanism is a 36 month mechanism, with the option for an extension, pending review, outputs delivered to date, and complexity of the study.
FELLOWSHIP FUNDING
POST DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
The African Potential Foundation believes that the post doctoral period of one’s career is where true innovation and growth reside. This critical aspect of a researcher’s career is where true entrepreneurialism begins to take hold, and innovations abound.
Thinking critically, strategically networking, and utilising the opportunities created during one’s doctoral degree are vital to ensuring fellows can maximise their post doctoral fellowship. We believe our fellow require flexibility in their time to think creatively, to read extensively both within and outside of their field of expertise. We focus strongly on career coaching for our Post Doctoral Fellows, as well as honing their financial acumen skills. Our approach is geared to creating an entrepreneurial approach to academic of non-academic careers that will ensure our fellows are the thought leaders of tomorrow.
The African Potential Foundation will select top research academics who are within 5 years of completing their doctoral degree and who show immense talent, they should illustrate for us, through the work that the have done to-date that they are the change makers of tomorrow. Our Postdoctoral Fellows will be provided with 3-years worth of salary support, as well as research support for a project of their choosing. Applicants must submit an application to a relevant call, providing a concept note and brief budget for their 3 year period of their fellowship. Applications will be reviewed by a review panel including one external specialist per area, and two internal reviewers. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete a full submission which will be reviewed by two independent academics within the chosen field of study, and 2 internal reviewers.
Candidates will again be short listed based upon their scores and finalists invited to a panel interview discussion that will include reviewers and other specialists from across various fields of study. Final participant scores will be ranked and only the top post doctoral applicants will be offered funding in line with the funding available for the fiscal period.
FELLOWSHIP FUNDING
SEED FUNDING
The African Potential Foundation will select top research academics who are in the early phase of their career and who have shown immense potential to be change makers.
They need to show an ability to self motivate, think critically and independently, and have displayed strong fiscal management skills. Discretionary funding to the maximum value of USD60,000.00 will be provided towards a project of their choosing, thus ensuring that they are empowered to collaborate both locally and abroad, and innovate all the while developing independence in their careers.
Our ultimate goal through the seed funding programme is that we nurture independence of thought, the ability to collaborate across disciplines, and the ability to meaningfully engage with some of Africa’s greatest challenges. They are setup to tackle some of Africa’s greatest barriers to participating in international economies, addressing disparities of all forms, and to creating economic growth opportunities through taking innovations to scale. Area to be funded will include:
- Water and food security
- Access to healthcare
- Chronic condition management, including both communicable and non-communicable diseases
- Access to affordable, and renewable energy
- Machine learning in the health sciences
- Gender-based Violence prevention interventions
- Early childhood development
- Polution & climate change