UKUDLA: Call for postdoctoral fellowship applications for 2025

Published May 5, 2025, by Supplied

Call for postdoctoral fellowship applications 2025
Application closing date (for Cohort 1 African candidates): 1 June 2025

The African German Centre of Excellence for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science (UKUDLA) invites applications for postdoctoral fellowships in the area of sustainable, resilient food systems and data science. Fellowships will be awarded for a period of 24 months. The fellowship is financed by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

UKUDLA objectives

UKUDLA’s primary objective is to advance the expertise of master’s students, PhD candidates, early-career researchers, and university lecturers in agri-food systems and applied data science. It also aims to enhance teaching methodologies and mentorship programmes within these interdisciplinary fields.

For this purpose, postdoctoral fellowships for food systems-related research are being awarded to individuals from the target group described below and are selected through a competitive process.

By training future academic and professional leaders, the programme contributes to the following long-term impacts:

Qualified professionals’ involvement in agri-food systems and applied data science-related research projects in Sub-Saharan Africa
Graduates strengthening education and research in Sub-Saharan Africa
Structural strengthening and regional networking of partner institutions and partner universities
Promoting knowledge exchange with and transfer to stakeholders of the agri-food systems.

Participating institutions and place of tenure

Successful candidates will enrol for a full-time fellowship at one of the network’s institutions: the University of the Western Cape, the University of Mpumalanga, the University of Pretoria (South Africa); or the Lilongwe University of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (Malawi). For the duration of the fellowship, successful candidates must be based in the city or town where the university at which they are registered is located.

Scholarship benefits

Stipend: A monthly stipend of €1670 will be provided to fellows for the two-year fellowship. Payment schedules may vary according to the procedures of the home institutions
UKUDLA Graduate Centre educational modules, short courses, summer schools and workshops are integral to the UKUDLA project. Fellows will have an opportunity to apply to participate in these educational activities and are expected to contribute to their organisation as well
African postdoctoral researchers can apply for an additional academic visit at the German partner institution for a period of three/six months. During this exchange, the African postdocs will be able to intensify their research and develop their skills in close collaboration with the German partners by learning new methods, participating in teaching modules or advanced data analysis
To ensure that the results of the postdoc research projects are accessible to an international audience, UKUDLA encourages scholars to apply for UKUDLA travel grants to attend the annual international “Tropentag” Conference. The Tropentag has proven its ability as an interdisciplinary high-level exchange platform for research in tropical and subtropical agriculture, natural resource management and rural development. The submission of an abstract to be presented as a poster or oral presentation at the Tropentag will be obligatory to be eligible for the travel grant
Additional research funds in reasonable amounts for material costs, equipment, consumables, labour, local travel, etc., are available and can be applied for.

Target group

Candidates with a doctoral degree in a discipline broadly linked to food systems or data sciences are interested in how these fields intersect
Candidates who are motivated and able to conduct advanced academic research, to deepen their expertise, develop new skills, and contribute to knowledge generation and transfer
Candidates who are not currently involved in another fellowship and are prepared to undertake the fellowship in a full-time role
Candidates who can demonstrate their leadership potential/experience and/or commitment to community engagement and impact will be given preference in the application process
Candidates who have English language proficiency, with one of the following qualifications as a minimum requirement: TOEFL 79/80 points or IELTS Band 6. Candidates who can prove that English has been the language of instruction at least since secondary school will also be considered.

Application requirements

Graduates who have successfully completed a doctoral degree
Clearly show motivation and strong commitment through a written statement
Have a thorough knowledge of the language of instruction (English)
Have completed their last university degree not more than six years ago at the time of application
Must already be in an African country either as a national or permanent resident
Candidates must be able to supply two academic references.

*The following restriction must be taken into account: In the case of breeding projects, developing genetically modified (including genome-edited) organisms for commercial use as food or animal feed is not eligible for funding.

Submission of application

As a first step, all applicants must submit a completed application form, which can be completed here.

The following attachments must be uploaded as part of the application:

A copy of your national identification card or, if not applicable, a copy of your passport
A completed project proposal form (available to download here)
Two recent academic recommendation letters signed by two different university lecturers/professors (which provide information about your qualifications and academic performance). One of the two letters should be from your PhD or previous Fellowship supervisor
Certified copies of all previous university degree certificates, including transcripts
Short CV (two pages maximum), including a list of (selected) publications
Evidence of English proficiency (TOEFL 79/80 points or IELTS Band 6 or English as the language of instruction at least since secondary school).

The application form (linked here) also requires a motivational statement (250 words each on your research interest, how the fellowship will impact your career path, what impact it will have on your community or environment and a description of your academic and career journey).

Selection procedure

Applications will undergo an administrative review to ensure all qualifying criteria are met. If an application meets the specified criteria and the research topic is relevant to the theme of sustainable, resilient food systems and data science, it will be reviewed by the selection committee. Applications will be peer-reviewed by two selection committee members using a rating rubric. The research proposal will be weighted according to its importance. A shortlist will be produced, and selected candidates will be invited to participate in an online interview.

The successful candidates will be informed before the end of June 2025, to commence their scholarship in July 2025.

Payment of fellowship funds

The fellowship stipend will be paid directly to the fellowship holder’s account. Further details will be communicated after admission to the fellowship programme in the Letter of Award and Fellowship Agreement.

No additional benefits, other than those listed in this call for applications, such as benefits for family members, can be made.

Expectations of UKDULA postdoctoral fellows

UKUDLA scholarship holders are expected to actively engage in their fellowship, as demonstrated by submitting a well-developed research project proposal and regular progress reports detailing their research. They are also expected to contribute to the academic community by publishing their research findings in peer-reviewed journals. Furthermore, scholarship holders should actively participate in science communication, disseminating their research to broader audiences.

Postdoc scholars will conduct advanced academic research, deepen their expertise, develop new skills, and contribute to knowledge generation and transfer. The postdocs will work independently and lead a thematic research area at UKUDLA, based at one of the core institutions. They are expected to contribute to supervising PhD and MSc students while collaborating with German postdocs and being mentored by senior academics at UKUDLA. During their fellowship, they will design and conduct research using theoretical or practical approaches, analyse data, and contribute to the UKUDLA’s data science hub.

Postdocs will also be expected to organise and contribute to thematic workshops to support the concept of transfer cycles and present results at conferences and seminars. They will also contribute to developing e-learning teaching modules based on their specific expertise.

Duration and continuation of scholarship

Fellowships are awarded for a duration of 24 months. After the project’s first year, your academic and research achievements will be assessed for adequate progress before further funding is disbursed in the second year (details will be provided in the fellowship agreement).

Deadline

The deadline for applications is 1 June 2025.

Email address for queries

Any questions or queries can be directed to arua-sfs@up.ac.za.