The AfricaLics network, hosted by the African Centre for Technology Studies, is an academic research and capacity building network that focuses on how innovation (the process through which new or improved products, processes, organizational forms, ways of working and acting are introduced into new environments) occurs and the relationship this has with economic and social development in African countries.  Such research is becoming known as African ‘innovation and development studies’ because it is at the intersection of innovation studies and development studies.

The 9^th AfricaLics PhD Academy provides an opportunity for PhD students enrolled at African universities who work in the field of innovation and development studies to gain more knowledge of this burgeoning field, meet leading academics in this field and receive feedback on their PhD studies.

The 9^th AfricaLics PhD Academy will be held as an online event in collaboration with the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

This is a call for students enrolled in a PhD at an African university who work in the field of innovation and development studies to apply to participate in this one-week online event.

Innovation and development studies

The AfricaLics network was established in 2012 in response to a growing recognition of the need for more support for academic ‘research on innovation’ relevant to African countries’ contextual environments. This expanding body of work by African scholars is critical to ensuring that ‘research in innovation’ (i.e., the research and development of specific inventions that can help solve practical problems), on which the majority of innovation policy and funding attention is focused, can be effectively supported. The concept of ‘research on innovation’ focuses on innovation processes, what fosters innovation, and what may aid in the acceptance and adoption of new solutions. It is particularly interested in determining the impact of innovation on African countries’ social and economic development. It addresses these issues in relation to innovation within households, firms, communities, and public organizations as well as by networks of collaborators. The focus of study can on  sectoral, national or broader (continental and global) production and innovation systems and processes.. As a result, the work of scholars in the AfricaLics network is multidisciplinary, straddling the established academic fields of innovation studies and development studies.

This multidisciplinary field that includes researchers from various disciplines who frequently study innovation studies, the economics of innovation, innovation management, technology management, science and technology studies, and so on. However, members of the network come from a variety of disciplines, including engineering, economics, and political science.

Who is eligible to apply?

PhD students working in innovation and development studies and who are principally interested in how innovation relates to economic and social development in Africa are the main target group for the PhD Academy.

The Academy will involve around 20-25 students from Africa and a handful of students from the rest of the world.

Specifically, PhD students who wish to participate will need to fulfill the following requirements:

• be at least in the beginning of his/her second year at the time of the academy
• work explicitly on issues related to policy-oriented analysis of science, technology and innovation
• be able to present an original paper reflecting his/her research and/or thesis work that fits within the thematic areas of the AfricaLics network

If you are in doubt as to whether you can apply, please contact us through the email address at the bottom of the call.

We will have a limited number of places open to master’s students.  These selected students will be granted observer status i.e. can attend but will not present their work.

Master degree students who wish to participate will need to fulfil the following requirements:

• be a registered Masters student in an African university on a degree programme in the area of economics, business or management studies, sociology or development studies or similar
• have a Masters project that will focus on an aspect of innovation studies (i.e. innovation management or innovation systems)

To improve diversity in the emerging academic community on innovation and development studies research in Africa, we encourage female scholars and those from low-income countries to apply.

Design of the Academy

The Academy will invite frontier researchers in the field of innovation and development from around the world to provide lectures and mentor students.  The Academy also provides opportunities for PhD students to share their work and learn new skills. As such, the Academy is made up of the following activities:

• Lectures by senior researchers on areas ranging from research methodologies to the latest theories and empirical research in the fields of innovation, innovation management and science policy.
• Presentations by doctoral students of their work with feedback from the senior scholars facilitating at the event.
• Sessions focused on enabling interaction between students, practitioners and policy makers on innovation and development issues
• Sessions that focus on key skills that students need to complete their PhD and become successful academic researchers such as publishing or project management skills

The language of the Academy will predominantly be English.

How to apply

PhD students who apply must submit an extended abstract of their PhD thesis of not more than 5 pages.

Masters students who apply must submit an extended abstract of their Masters project of not more than 2 pages.

The abstract must be submitted together with the applicant’s CV and a recommendation letter from the principal PhD/ Master’s supervisor or a senior scholar who knows the applicant’s work.

These three documents should be sent to the AfricaLics Secretariat (phd-academy@africalics.org) on or before 23:00 hours East Africa time on Thursday 13^th April 2023.

Format of abstracts

Abstracts should be typed double-spaced in French or in English with font size 12. The abstract must include the following sections:

1. Background and literature review of theory to be used in addressing research questions
2. The research objectives or research questions
3. Methodology including the data collection and analysis techniques to be used,
4. Expected contribution to academia and policy discussions.
5. References

Please also make it clear in your application if you are preparing a thesis by publication or manuscript/ monograph thesis.

Selection

All extended abstracts will be reviewed by at least two senior scholars from a review panel made up of members of the AfricaLics Scientific Board, AfricaLics Secretariat and the host University.

Selection will be made based on academic quality of extended abstracts as well as on the basis of criteria aimed at promoting diversity (by location, gender etc.).  Selection criteria for AfricaLics events are published on the AfricaLics website: https://africalics.org/selection-criteria/

Successful applicants will be notified by 21^st April 2023 of their acceptance to the Academy.

Final paper upload and confirmation of attendance

All successful applicants will be expected to have confirmed their participation by 23:00 hours East Africa time on Friday 12^th May 2023 or their place will be given to someone else.

We recommend that all applicants pencil in the dates of the event in their diaries as soon as they apply as there is very little time between notification of acceptance and the first week of the event.

All selected participants who confirm attendance will also be expected to upload a final FULL paper (details of this will be given in your acceptance letter) by 23:00 hours East Africa time on Friday 26^th May 2023.  The full paper should be a full project proposal (for Masters students) or a chapter of your thesis that you would like to present and get feedback on during the Academy (for PhD students).

Organisation and support

The 9^th AfricaLics Ph.D. Academy is jointly organized by the University of Johannesburg with support from the AfricaLics Secretariat hosted at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), Kenya. The event is supported financially by the University of Johannesburg, the AfricaLics network and Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) through Sida Research.

The local organising committee at University of Johannesburg is led by: Prof. Rebecca Hanlin, Professor of Innovation and Sustainable Development.  Organisation of the Academy at the AfricaLics Secretariat is being managed by Ms. Mourine Chepkemoi.