The Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA) is dedicated to research in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Their main research axes are sustainable peace, sustainable democracy and sustainability transformation, but they are also interested in a wide range of intersectional sub-topics, such as landownership and acquisition, migration and mobility, restitution of colonially acquired cultural objects, African cities, human rights, and other related themes. MIASA facilitates networking and collaboration amongst leading researchers from Germany, Ghana, other parts of Africa and Europe and elsewhere in the world. The institute is located on the campus of the University of Ghana (UG) at Legon (Accra), and has been implemented in collaboration with the University of Freiburg, the Goethe University of Frankfurt, the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) and the German Historical Institute Paris (GHIP).

The present call is for up to 5 individual residential fellowships of minimum 3 and maximum 6 months each for the academic year 2026/2027. The call is open to scholars (both on junior and senior levels) who have been awarded their doctoral degree at least three months before the start of the fellowship. Starting dates for individual fellowships are handled flexibly. The earliest possible starting date for a fellowship is 1 September 2026. The latest possible date for the end of a fellowship is 31 August 2027.

Individual fellowships allow researchers to conduct a project of their own choice, connected to MIASA’s thematic research areas. Projects can be at conceptional stage, mid-term phase or final stage (analyzing data, writing up findings). The Institute provides its fellows with office space on the University of Ghana – Legon campus. A full-time presence of fellows at MIASA for the entire fellowship period is required.

Applications will be accepted in English and French.

Application deadline: 15 September 2025