The ASA is thrilled to announce its 2025 Fellowships for Carnegie Corporation of New York supported scholars. This year, the ASA will be offering unique opportunities to which Carnegie supported scholars can submit proposals. Applicants are invited to submit proposals in one of two tracks: First Time Grantees and Returning Peer Mentor Grantees. All grantees will attend the ASA 68th Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA November 19-22.
The Publishing Improvement Pipeline for Emerging Scholars (PIPES) workshop, jointly organized by the editors of African Studies Review, History in Africa, and the ASA Emerging Scholars Network, will afford all grantees an opportunity to workshop their paper for future publication in a scholarly journal with expert and peer feedback on Wednesday, November 19. First Time Grantees should plan to workshop their conference presentation paper in one of the topics below. Returning Peer Mentor Grantees may workshop a draft paper related to the topics below and be prepared to ready it for publication with mentor feedback. Transdisciplinary papers by Returning Peer Mentor Grantees will receive special consideration. Following the workshop, 12 First Time Attendee scholars will present on three curated panels at the Annual Meeting, November 20-22. Three Returning Peer Mentor Scholars should prepare a 30-40 minute talk to be given a local institution. They will also participate as discussants, one on each of the curated panels. A senior scholar with topical expertise will chair each panel, provide presentation feedback, and mentorship.
We are delighted to invite submissions from the Carnegie support programs below and look forward to welcoming 15 fellows in this year’s cohort. Please feel free to download this PDF call to circulate.
Carnegie scholars are invited to submit proposals to one of the following topics:
*Please note: the questions under each topical title are for thought and reflection. We aim for these groups to be deeply interdisciplinary, so if you feel your work may fit broadly within the heading even if the questions do not directly address your work, please submit a proposal. Priority will be given to proposals that address a broader African studies audience with their findings.
Security, Authority, and International Politics in Africa
This panel looks at how global power dynamics— including economic competition, foreign interventions, military conflicts, and international policies— influence peace and security across Africa. Thinking about the long history of foreign intervention and regional politics in Africa, this panel seeks to situate African states, their leaders, and their policies within broader discussions about global power and geopolitical considerations of the past and present. How has foreign intervention—military, economic, or political—impact Africa’s security landscape? How do Africa’s growing economic and diplomatic ties to different global powers impact peacebuilding efforts? How do African countries assert their agency in shaping global security policies, and how does that inform regional relationships? How do historical legacies of colonial borders and governance structures continue to inform intra-African peace and security?
Gender, Feminisms, & the Digital Across Africa
This panel explores the intersection of gender, power, and technology in African contexts, examining how digital platforms and the expansion of the technoscape serve as both tools of empowerment and sites of exclusion for women and gender minorities. Through the framework of techno-feminism, this panel will chart the ways that power is shaped, disrupted, or reinforced in digital spaces. How have digital platforms transformed feminist activism and gender advocacy across African societies? What role do social media movements play in reshaping gender politics in Africa? In what ways might online spaces both empower and endanger African women, and how have women engaged with and challenged gendered authority? How do AI comment bots, trolling, and harassment impact discourse with and about women and gender minorities on different platforms?
Migration, Memory, and Wellbeing
This panel explores wellbeing and memory among intra-Africa migrants and the African diaspora. How do migrant communities perceive the intersections of mental and physical health, safety, socioeconomic status, and their roles within host societies? What roles do psychological, physical, cultural, and familial memory play within the contexts of migration, immigration, resettlement, and diasporas? How does the presence of ‘returnees’ from the diaspora raise questions of identity and belonging in the modern era, and how does their presence fit into longer narratives of migration to and from Africa? How is the act of place-making impacted by a sense of health and wellbeing or lack thereof?
APPLYING
Paper Proposal
The paper abstract should consist of a statement about the topic, the nature and extent of the research on which the paper is based, and a brief summary of the main argument(s) (a maximum of 200 words). All proposals must be submitted via this form and must be received by Friday, August 1, 2025.
Participation Expectations
The ASA’s events will provide multiple opportunities to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, refine scholarly papers, and cultivate mentor relationships. The publishing pre-conference workshop will focus on the process of publishing in a scholarly journal, article editing, and peer review skills. All grantees should prepare a research paper to workshop as a draft journal article. All participants will be expected to participate in person in Atlanta so grantees should plan for international travel. First Time Attendee scholars should prepare a 15-20 minute paper presentation for the Annual Meeting. Returning Peer Mentor Grantees should prepare a 30-40 minute talk to be given a local institution and additionally will be expected to serve as discussants on the curated panels. All scholars will be expected to communicate with panel chairs via email one month prior to the Annual Meeting, and to provide their article draft to their readers by Friday, August 29.
Selected participants will be granted two-year memberships in the African Studies Association and ASA Emerging Scholars Network, conference registration, travel and lodging funding, visa support, and travel insurance.
Eligibility
The African Studies Association invites fellows from the following networks to submit paper proposals:
-African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)
-African Leadership Centre
-African Peacebuilding Network
-African Research Universities Alliance, Centers of Excellence
-Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa
-Makerere Institute for Social Research
-Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa
-Partnership for African Social and Governance Research
-Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture
-Science for Africa Foundation (POSSIBLE-Africa)
-CCNY supported projects at the University of Ghana
-CCNY supported projects at Makerere University
-CCNY supported projects at the University of the Witwatersrand
-CCNY supported projects at the University of Cape Town
-CCNY supported fellows at the University of Pretoria Future Africa Institute
-Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment at the University of the Witwatersrand
Please note: Individuals that have previously been awarded an ASA Presidential Fellowship or a CCNY Fellowship to attend the ASA Annual Meeting are not eligible as a First Time Grantee for the 2025 CCNY Fellowship. They should apply as a Returning Peer Mentor. Fellows that have participated more than once are not eligible.
Proposals can be submitted via this form. All proposals must be submitted by Friday, August 1. Proposals submitted via email will not be accepted. If you have any questions, please contact Alix Saba at alix@africanstudies.org or Reed Couvillon at reed@africanstudies.org.
ASA Launches 2025 CCNY Fellow Call
