The Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) invites applications for its prestigious PhD Fellowships for the year 2025. CARTA is a collaborative initiative involving eight African universities, four African research institutes, and eight non-African partners. Our mission is to bolster the capacity of African institutions to conduct globally competitive research, with a particular focus on addressing health and development challenges in the region.
JASes are offered once annually for four years to each cohort and build skills and conceptual depth from year to year. Each JAS runs for 3 to 4 weeks. Specific topics covered in each JAS include the following:
- JAS-1 builds critical thinking, technical skills, and other core research competencies, and introduces students to the essential concepts and seminal articles of the disciplines brought together under CARTA
- JAS-2 focuses on data management and analysis. Fellows learn to use software packages for qualitative and quantitative data management and analyses. Practice sessions use real research data and current software packages for hands-on training
- JAS-3 focuses on data presentation, the doctoral dissertation, and scientific writing and communication skills to facilitate results dissemination and policy engagement
- JAS-4 addresses professional development including skills necessary to manage and teach large class sizes, raise and manage research funds, grant writing, and research management.
Offered Benefits
In 2025, the CARTA program plans to offer up to 15 PhD fellowships and two additional fellowships reserved for staff members of the Somali National University (SNU), Somalia, who will be mentored by one of the CARTA partners, Makerere University, Uganda. The fellowships, which are tenable at the CARTA African universities, include the following benefits:
- The cost of the fellow’s participation in the advanced seminars;
- A modest monthly stipend; moderate support for research activities;
- A laptop loaded with relevant software;
- Funds to attend one international conference; and
- Support to participate in training programs of choice.
Note: The CARTA fellowships run for a maximum of four years. Fellowships will only cover tuition fees, medical insurance, and travel support for fellows registered at a partner institution different from their own.
Application Process
- Contact the CARTA focal person at your institution to discuss your interest and obtain application materials. Application forms may also be downloaded below.
- At this point, applicants are expected to submit their application forms and reference letters by April 15, 2024, to the Focal Persons at partner institutions WITH A COPY TO THE SECRETARIAT ( ). You can access the application here.
- CARTA partner institutions will nominate candidates who will be invited for the full application process. The institutional selection will take place between April 15 and May 15, 2024. Institutions must submit a completed University CARTA PhD Fellowships Applications Screening Form by May 15, 2025.
- Only those who are nominated by their institutions will be invited to submit a full application between June 1 and July 15, 2024.
- Applications will be accepted ONLY through the official portal. Nominated candidates need to make sure to receive an official ID to log in and submit within the time stipulated by the system. No late or incomplete application will be considered under any circumstance.
Required Documents:
The full application includes:
- A full research proposal
- Updated CV
- Letter of support from their institution committing to modify the workloads for the fellows, to enable them to fully participate in CARTA-organized activities pertaining to their PhD program and to waive the fellows’ fees if they are registered at the institution where they are employed.
- Three timed tasks:
- Critical review of a scientific article
- Numeracy task
- Critical thinking task
- Two free online courses:
- Understanding plagiarism course
- Basic Health Research Ethics course
