Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program

About the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program

The exact application window for the current round is unclear from the details published so far, but the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program remains an active, recurring opportunity, and this article reports on the 2026 cycle. The programme connects African-born academics working in the United States and Canada with universities in Africa for short-term collaborative projects. Because it runs on a rolling annual model, you should treat 2026 as the cycle to plan around and confirm the precise dates on the official website.

The Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program supports scholarly exchange, not classroom-only teaching. Fellows travel to a host institution and work on a defined project agreed in advance with that institution.

Who Runs the Program

The programme is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York. It is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) in Nairobi. IIE handles the application logistics, while host universities across the continent propose the projects that fellows can join.

Study Level and Eligible Fields

This is a fellowship for established academics rather than students, so it operates at the postdoctoral and faculty level. Eligible fields are broad and driven by what host institutions request. Projects span the sciences, humanities, social sciences, health, engineering and more, because each placement is built around a specific need identified by an African university.

How Many Fellowships Are Offered

An exact annual quota is not specified here. In practice the programme awards fellowships in cohorts each cycle, and the number depends on available funding and approved host project requests. For the confirmed figure in the current round, check the official programme page before applying.

Who Can Apply

The Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program is aimed at African-born academics who were born in Africa, currently live in the United States or Canada, and work at an accredited college or university there. In short, it targets the African academic diaspora who want to contribute to higher education back on the continent. Host institutions in eligible African countries, meanwhile, apply to receive a fellow.

Funding and Benefits

The fellowship funds a short-term academic visit, typically ranging from two weeks up to several weeks depending on the project. Support generally covers:

• Round-trip international travel between North America and the host country.
• A daily stipend to cover living costs during the visit.
• The costs tied to carrying out the approved collaborative project.

Because the visit is short-term, fellows keep their home appointments in North America and return afterward. The value lies in building lasting research and teaching links between diaspora scholars and African universities.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered, you generally need to meet the following conditions:

• You were born in Africa.
• You live in the United States or Canada.
• You currently hold a position at an accredited higher education institution in the US or Canada.
• You hold a terminal degree in your field, or otherwise qualify as a faculty member.
• You have a host institution in an eligible African country willing to work with you on an approved project.

The last point matters because the fellowship is project-based. A fellow is matched to a specific request from an African university, so an approved host project is central to eligibility. Confirm the full current criteria on the official site, since requirements can be updated between cycles.

How to Apply for the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program

Applications for the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program run through the Institute of International Education. The process has two connected sides: African universities post project requests, and diaspora scholars apply to fill them.

1. Review the current project requests posted by African host institutions.
2. Identify a project that matches your expertise, or connect directly with a host institution that wants to work with you.
3. Prepare and submit your application through the official IIE portal before the closing date.

Supporting materials you should expect to provide include:

• Your current curriculum vitae showing your academic post in the US or Canada.
• Evidence of your terminal degree or faculty standing.
• A project description agreed with the host institution.
• Confirmation of your host institution partnership.

The deadline for this round is best described as the 2026 cycle, and you should confirm the exact date on the official website because the programme uses timed application windows that change each year. If you miss the window, you can normally apply in the next cycle, since the programme recurs annually. For questions, use the contact channel listed on the official programme page rather than relying on secondhand information.

Official Website

You can read the full details, view current host project requests, and start your application on the official page here: Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program at IIE.