Fellowship/Professional Development Program

U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine

Based on the success of the National Academies' Kavli Frontiers of Science Program and National Academy of Engineering's Frontiers of Engineering, the U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine program convenes series of symposia to bring together early-career researchers from the United States and African Union member countries to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in their fields.

Applications open

Until March 1, 2026 2:08 PM

Under review

March 2, 2026 - March 19, 2026

Recipient announcements

March 20, 2026

About Application and Review Process Resources News and Updates

Key dates

Terms of the Fellowship
All exchanges must be completed before December 31, 2026.
• Selected recipients will receive a grant of up to $2500 for living expenses for up to 4 weeks. In addition, they will receive funds for travel to the destination of their exchange.
• Travel funding up to $2500 will be determined by the U.S. National Academies and will be based on distance between the recipient’s home institution and host institution.
• The recipient’s home institution will agree to support the exchange by receiving and disbursing grant funds.
• The recipient’s host institution will be responsible for assisting the recipient in finding housing and by providing other on-the-ground assistance, including support for research.

Application

A complete application, written in English only, should be submitted by filling out the application form online. It consists of
1. CVs [limited to 3 pages, including name of graduate degree institution; most relevant research and work experience, publications, presentations, etc.] of both visitor and host.
2. Statement of Interest/Proposed Research; limited to 2 pages. Please address the following in your statement:
  
  Specific activities to be undertaken by the collaborators including aims and objectives (possibly with indications of planned visits of cooperating partners to conferences or lectures at the partner institute).
  
  What are your intended outcomes of this exchange in terms of your research and professional development?
3. Budgetary allocation among applicants.
4. Letter from the host institution that states the host researcher’s intention for collaboration, and specifies the type and level of support and/or resources that will be provided to you to successfully carry out your planned research; limited to 2 pages. The letter must be written on official institutional letterhead and signed by an official at the host institution who is authorized to commit the institution to be involved in the project.
5. Letter of support (written on official institutional letterhead) from an official at the home institution of employment that states the institution’s willingness to support the participation of its staff in the proposed project (including time off for an exchange), accept grant funding from the NAS, and to disburse the funding in a timely manner to the recipient as a single payment without transaction fees or overhead; limited to 2 pages.

Selection process

Applications are reviewed by a panel of experts forming a selection committee. Criteria for selection include but are not limited to:
- Demonstrated ability to achieve proposed goal
- Potential for continued interaction after the proposed activities
- Cost-effectiveness of proposed budget
- Support of applicants’ institutions

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My Academies

U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine

Key dates

Application

Application Process

Eligibility

How to apply

Selection process

Selection criteria