Grant size: less than $1000 Donor: Institute of International Education (IIE) The Institute of International Education's Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP) is a scholar fellowship program for educational projects at African higher education institutions. The program is funded by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY). A total of 705 African Diaspora Fellowships have been awarded for scholars to travel to Africa since the program’s inception in 2013. CADFP exemplifies CCNY’s enduring commitment to higher education in Africa. IIE manages and administers the program, including applications, project requests and fellowships. https://www.iie.org/programs/carnegie-african-diaspora-fellowship-program/ Read more

Grant Size: $1000-10000 Donor: IT for Change IT for Change invites applications for think pieces under the project, ‘Re-wiring India’s Digitalising Economy for Women’s Rights and Well-being,’ supported by the European Commission and Frederich Ebert Stiftung. They seek well-established, mid to senior-career scholars and researchers who identify as women, with a proven track record of publishing on the digital economy and gender. https://itforchange.net/think-pieces-2024-gender-and-digital-inclusion-call-for-proposals Read more

Grant Size: $100,000 -500,000 Donor: US Mission to Togo The U.S. Embassy Lome through this Notice of Funding Opportunity, is pleased to announce an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to promote inclusive civic engagement and bolster strong and independent democratic institutions. https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/355708 Read more

The Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) is seeking applicants for the fifth cohort of the AAP African Futures Research Leadership Program. This competitive visiting scholar program supports early career researchers from the AAP consortium to work for one year under the mentorship of faculty members from MSU and their home institution, focusing on building skills in research for impact, writing scholarly and/or policy publications, disseminating of research results, and developing grant proposals for external support. Scholars will also participate in a structured professional development program while building bridges and lasting connections with MSU contacts and across their cohort.  The main objective of the African Futures program is to strengthen the capacity of a cadre of African researchers to return to their home institutions and become scientific leaders in their community, establish long-term partnerships with MSU faculty, co-create innovative solutions to Africa’s challenges, and in turn become trainers of the next generation of researchers. This program aims to address the gender gap in Africa, where only 30% of researchers are women, so scholars selected for the program will be women, or men who can demonstrate they are committed to support efforts towards gender equity in higher education institutions in Africa. The research areas that the scholars will engage in during the program should be aligned to AAP's research priority areas.  The AAP Management Team requests applications from early career researchers to participate in the next cohort, with work to begin virtually in February 2025. Scholars will spend September – December 2025 at MSU for the in-person portion of the program, followed by another period of virtual collaboration, ending in early 2026. The scholar and mentor team will receive a small grant for research and professional development activities including conference attendance and publication. Scholars will also receive a stipend during their time at MSU, visa application support, and round-trip travel from their home institution. Potential Research Areas  Selected scholars will work in one of AAP’s seven priority areas: Agri-food systems Water, Energy, and Environment Culture and Society Youth Empowerment Education Health and Nutrition Science, Technology, and Innovation Selected scholars will be paired with an MSU mentor and commit to working with the MSU mentor and the home institution mentor for the duration of the program.   Program Benefits  Professional development activities – AAP will offer structured professional development workshops centered on topics such as building equitable partnerships, academic time management, proposal development and budgeting, research communication, etc. to establish professional trajectories, to build research, writing, and publishing skills, and to support scholars to move through various stages of review, promotion, and growth.  Leadership activities – this will center on a research leadership retreat to expose scholars to the key competencies of research leaders, the work that research leaders engage in, personal reflection on their characteristics and career goals to help determine the pathway to advancement to research leadership. Collaboration networks – the early career researcher will be co-mentored by an MSU faculty member and a faculty member from their home institution. Mentors will have the opportunity to visit their counterpart for one week during the duration of the program. The scholar will also gain access to AAP’s broad network of researchers at MSU, across Africa, and beyond. Proposed activities should ultimately lead to potential long-term collaborations between MSU and the partner institution.    Expected Outcomes Each scholar and mentors are expected to produce the following outputs, at minimum, by the end of the program: Submission or evidence of publication of one to three joint manuscripts At least one grant proposal application At least one conference presentation Collaborations with mentors are meant to be long-term and continue after the end of the program. Scholars are encouraged to network with MSU faculty beyond their mentor while at MSU. Scholars are expected to submit regular progress reports to AAP and their home institution focal point. Failure to meet program and mentor expectations can result in early dismissal. Eligibility  Citizen of an African country  Completion of a PhD degree within the last 10 years  Employed as an Academic Staff member at one of the AAP African consortium universities including Egerton University, Makerere University, University of Dar es Salaam, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Botswana, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University Cheikh Anta Diop, University of Arts and Humanities, Bamako, United States International University-Africa, and University of Pretoria  Have documented approval of leave or sabbatical to participate in the program for the in-person period  Have a mentor at their home institution that will serve as a collaborator and mentor Research must be in one of the AAP priority areas Applicants may only submit one proposal to AAP in this round of funding. Prior scholars are not eligible to apply.  Application Requirements  Applicants should provide the following documents as part of their application package:  An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) that provides a chronological review of their professional accomplishments  A letter of interest that demonstrates how their research interest and experience is aligned to the AAP research priority area and how they plan to implement long-term sustainable partnership (1 pages) (for male applicants) include how they have supported efforts towards gender equity in higher education institutions in Africa Names of potential mentors at MSU (applicants should browse relevant MSU department’s website to identify up to three faculty that are aligned with their research interests. Applicants should not contact MSU faculty directly - AAP will reach out on the applicant’s behalf) Two publications in refereed journals related to their research area  Two professional references that detail the relationship to the applicant and provide specific examples of their assessment of the expertise of the applicant’s research area  A letter from the mentor at their home institution indicating willingness to serve as a collaborator during the program, travel to MSU for one week of collaboration discussions, and mentor the early career researcher when they return to their home institution (1 page)  A written endorsement from the applicants’ Head of Department approving leave (1 page)  A letter of support from the AAP Focal Point for the scholar’s application (1 page) Selection Criteria:  Professional merit, scientific ability, potential career impact and future collaboration goals with MSU faculty (based on CV, letter of interest, publications, Head of dept and home mentor letters, and two reference letters)  Assurance and availability of resources from the home institution for a designated, funded position for the early career researcher upon completion of their fellowship (expressed in letter from head of Dept at the home institution)  Commitment to return to their home country following completion of training (expressed in a letter of interest)  The selection committee will ensure the best match of outstanding candidates and MSU mentors Additional selection factors may include diversity in scientific research areas and geographic origin  Applications are due on August 18, 2024  Apply: https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a60s40TOPXGO5sq   Additional program dates: Program start date (virtual): February 2025 In-person program: Sept - Dec 2025 Program end date: February 2026 Questions  Please contact José Jackson-Malete at  jacks184@msu.edu  or +1 517-884-8587 with any questions.  Read more

Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa 2024 Call for ProposalsInfo session and Q&A slides The Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), a consortium of ten leading African universities, a distinguished research network for African research institute, and Michigan State University, is inviting proposals for its Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa (PIRA) strategic funding program. As a consortium-wide initiative, PIRA is a tiered funding opportunity designed to cultivate and support multidirectional, collaborative research partnerships at any stage of their development, whether they are initiatives to explore and create new relationships or scale existing ones. One of the unique aspects to these grants is the expectation that organizations will establish and develop fair and equitable partnerships from conception to closeout of the project, involving local stakeholders throughout the project, respecting their knowledge and expertise, and taking an adaptive approach that is responsive to the local context. Proposals should outline processes to establish such partnerships. Fair and equitable partnerships must also be established among members of the consortium if multiple organizations are working on the implementation of the project. Proposed partnership activities may entail cooperative research, capacity building initiatives, outreach and/or other activities that align with AAP’s pillars of building bridges, transforming institutions, and transforming lives. Proposals must address at least one of AAP’s priority areas: agri-food systems; water, energy and  environment; culture and society; youth empowerment; education; health and nutrition; and, science, technology, and innovation. Proposals are encouraged from diverse disciplinary perspectives. Submitted proposals must include principal investigators from both MSU and at least one African AAP member university. The project implementation timeframe will be 18 months. FUNDING TIERS The tiered funding structure is designed to support partnerships at different stages of maturity to create and strengthen relationships among institutions and act as a catalyst for research teams in securing external funding that will allow for long-term engagement. Applicants should submit proposals for the funding tier that best fits the level of engagement established among the PIs on the research team. However, AAP management reserves the right to relegate proposals to a different tier if deemed more appropriate during review. To ensure broad impact, more awards will be given at the planning grant level than the scaling grant level. Proposed activities for each tier may include, but are not limited to: Planning Grants (up to $50,000), inception and early-stage partnership research activities, travel support for co-developing joint proposals (in accordance with all MSU travel guidelines), short-term capacity building trainings, network development, research symposia, or other activities that align with AAP’s priority themes and strategic objectives. Scaling Grants (up to $100,000), continuation of ongoing partnerships that have the potential to significantly scale their research, capacity building, or outreach activities, broader institutional linkages, or other activities that align with AAP’s priority themes and strategic objectives.  ELIGIBILITY The lead investigators for proposals must come from MSU and AAP African member universities. Proposals may also include partners from other institutions globally. Teams are encouraged to include partners from the private sector, governments, civil society organizations, and pan-African/global institutions. Individuals who were PIs or co-PIs on grants from the previous round of PIRA grants or AAP’s strategic partnership grants are not eligible to lead proposals under this call but may participate as team members. MSU ISP staff are not eligible to lead proposals. GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS All submissions must have a cover sheet and proposal narrative that includes the information listed below, a budget and budget narrative using the provided template, and letters of support. Please submit all application material via the application portal by Wednesday, August 14 at 11:59 PM EST. Application with the project's title as well as names, institutional affiliations, titles of all principal investigators, and a brief (about 100 words) project summary A proposal narrative, not to exceed 5,000 words with one appendix for references cited, that includes: A description of the partnership, containing: Capacity statements from each partner institution that outlines their respective strengths in relation to their proposed roles and responsibilities in the partnership A brief description of the past or ongoing partnership, if applicable The rationale for partnership and evidence that it will create or cultivate equitable, sustainable, and mutually beneficial partnerships A problem statement that identifies the shared challenges to be addressed by the program activities, the theory of change, their relevance to AAP’s themes and pillars Clearly defined objectives of the proposed partnership A description of program activities as well as a logical framework that connects the proposed activities with their intended outputs, outcomes, and programmatic objectives A timeline of activities A monitoring, evaluating, and learning plan that outlines proposed indicators and collection methods Identification of potential sources of additional funding that the partnership will pursue during the program’s period of performance A line-item budget and budget narrative using the template provided. Templates and more information on budgetary considerations are below in BUDGET. A letter of support from each partner’s department, institution, or organization; and A CV or resume of each principal investigator (1-page max). A letter of support for each PI from their dean or head of department that signifies buy-in from each partner at the institutional level. Please use the provided template SELECTION CRITERIA Program goals should align with at least one of AAP’s pillars: Building bridges: Bringing people and organizations together to work toward common goals. Illustrative activities under this objective include: sponsoring thematic symposia or workshops that bring people together across sectors and disciplines or travel for preparation of proposals for larger grant applications. This also includes network development, communications among research groups or networks (e.g. digital innovations and digital forums), dissemination of knowledge through online journals and/or sharing of best practices among partners Transforming institutions: Promoting sustainable and effective partnerships among institutions, enhancing resources, and increasing institutional capacity. Illustrative activities under this objective include: institutional capacity development at universities, NGOs, or in the public sector such as building financial management capacity, improving teaching and learning at universities, and/or increasing proposal development skills, among others. Transforming lives: Supporting research with real-world impact that improves African lives and livelihoods. Illustrative activities under this objective include: putting research into action through evidence-based outreach and engagement, conducting early-stage research that has obvious potential to impact lives and livelihoods, improving dissemination of research outputs to practitioners and policy-makers, and/or designing innovative research-into-practice methodologies.  Submitted proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria: Evidence of a collaborative and equitable partnership that strengthens personal, professional, and/or institutional networks in a mutually beneficial and sustainable way. Other AAP principles that need to be demonstrated in the proposal and later in the implementation are mutual trust and respect, sustainability, innovativeness, co-creation, accountability, transparency, flexibility as well as multi-disciplinarity and trans-disciplinarity. Alignment of proposed activities and program goal(s) to AAP’s 3 strategic objectives and 7 priority areas. Potential for program deliverables to significantly contribute to their respective academic, technical, or technological fields. Potential to create innovative models of community engagement and development that positively impact people’s lives. Potential for principal investigators to attract and or leverage additional external funding to sustain program’s impact. A thorough monitoring, evaluating, and learning plan that links program activities to their intended outputs and outcomes and includes a clear description of the MEL tools that will be used, what indicators will be measured, and a timeline for evaluation and reporting. Gender equality, equity and inclusion are core values of AAP and are thus central to this call. All projects funded must demonstrate how they follow principles of gender and inclusion and should explain how applicants will integrate gender, equity, and inclusion issues in all stages of the project, including rationale, design, intended results, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and knowledge mobilization processes. BUDGET PIRA BUDGET TEMPLATE [.XLSX] Using the template provided, applicants must submit a line-item budget and budget narrative for the life of the program that details each institution’s requested budget as well as an overall budget summary. Suggested line items are provided as guidelines but are not comprehensive or required. Proposed budgets should be co-created by the partnership teams and reflect an equitable distribution of funds, with each institution completing a separate tab within the budget template to show the anticipated disbursement of resources and cost sharing broken down by yearly expenditures. The budget narrative should clearly explain how the line items are calculated and for what purpose they will be used in achieving the program’s objectives. Please note that the MSU PI and their home department will be responsible for the financial administration of the award. As such, it is required that the MSU PI involve their department’s fiscal officer in the development of the proposed budget to ensure all financial guidelines and reporting requirements are met. Please submit budgets as an Excel file or similar formatted version that allows the reviewers to view the formulas used in the calculations. Communications and Engagement10% of the total requested funds must be earmarked for communication and engagement efforts. For example, if a team is requesting a scaling grant for $100,000, at least $10,000 of that must be budgeted for communication and engagement efforts, such as developing creative projects that translate the research, engagement workshops and developing and utilizing dissemination tools such as video production, creation of digital resources, community engagement activities, etc. Cost Share 10% of the total requested funds must be matched with contributions (monetary and/or in-kind) from all partners. The Co-PIs’ colleges, faculties. and/or departments will be expected to contribute to the costs of the proposed activities to ensure that the commitment to long-term partnering is shared by these units.  Ineligible Expenses While funding may be used for a variety of activities, the following expenses are not eligible to be covered with the PIRA grants: Regular salary of MSU faculty (summer salary is allowable) Indirect costs (IDC) Equipment exceeding $5,000 Construction-related costs  Total project salary & fringe cannot exceed 30% of total combined project budget. SELECTION PROCESS Proposals will initially be reviewed by the AAP management team according to the guidelines and criteria above. Short-listed applications will be assessed by external peer reviewers for quality of technical content. Final selections will be made by the AAP management team in consultation with its internal partners and consortium members. SUBMISSION AND AWARD TIMELINE APPLICATION PORTAL Full proposal packages are due on Wednesday, August 14 at 11:59 PM EST and awards will be announced by early October. AAP management will work with awardees to finalize the plan and budget by November 20, 2024. Programs may begin according to their timeline but not before a final work plan and budget has been approved by AAP management. Programs must begin no later than January 22, 2025 and all program activities must be completed within 18 months of the start date. Progress will be due to AAP management at regular intervals throughout implementation. In addition, AAP will be conducting intermittent surveys of the awardees to evaluate the PIRA grant-making process and how successfully it embodies the AAP’s values of equity, transparency, and accountability. Read more

AAP seeks proposals from consortium members and their partners for projects that directly address AAP's Transforming Institutions pillar - transforming institutions to be better able to participate in sustainable, equitable, and research-driven partnerships that make a broader impact on transforming lives. Successful applicants will receive up to $20,000 USD in seed funding to develop international strategic partnerships with universities, institutions of higher education and research, and/or organizations in the public and/or NGO sectors.  Proposed projects should focus specifically on institutional and capacity strengthening. This could include projects that: aim to reinforce institutional strengths; contribute to individuals’ capacity strengthening, which will lead to institutional strengthening; plan for the creation of new units or institution-wide initiatives; and/or pilot new approaches to support research, teaching, or outreach that can be scaled up across the institution(s).Some specific examples of the types of programs that could fall under this funding initiative: developing plans or programs to improve institutional financial management structures, building capacity of administrative units or leaders, improving structures for outreach and research dissemination, creating new and innovative curricula or pedagogical approaches in priority areas, strengthening student service units focused on various aspects of student success, or institutional programs to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (for faculty staff, and/or students). Proposals that solely focus on research topics unrelated to institutional capacity strengthening and do not directly address how the work contributes to institutional strengthening will not be considered. I. Guidelines Proposals may be submitted in one of the following three project categories in support of institutional strengthening and capacity development: Exploratory Projects to support initial-stage partnership development. This funding is meant for new partnerships that have not previously worked together Proposal Development Projects to support partners to develop a proposal in response to a specific funding opportunity  Pilot Workshop Projects to support short-term training activities or workshops We highly encourage projects that incorporate South-South collaboration. This has been identified as an AAP priority and will be factored into the selection process. We also encourage collaboration across Francophone and Anglophone countries/consortium members. Proposals that address at least one of the following focus areas will receive priority in review: student success financial management systems diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) science communication  Details on funding and development of applicants’ project budget: Applicants can request a maximum of $20,000 USD.  Funding can cover travel and/or associated meeting or workshop costs. The budget may also cover salary/fringe expenses up to a total of $5,000 USD. Travel can include any of the following—within Africa, to Africa from external locations, from Africa to the US, or to other locations outside of Africa. Virtual engagement is highly encouraged as it can be cost effective. Applicants are required to contribute 20% in cost share for the project, in addition to the amount that AAP awards. For example, if an applicant requests $20,000 from AAP, the applicants will need to contribute a total of an additional $4,000 in cost share to the project, so that the total budget for the project would be $24,000.  Cost share refers to the resources a recipient contributes to the total cost of an agreement. Cost share can be cash, in-kind contributions (such as donated time of a faculty member) or a combination of the two.  The cost share required is a combined 20% contribution across all the partner institutions, with each institution contributing some amount. It must be verified in a letter of endorsement from the applicant partner institution leadership (e.g., Dean). Please see the link to the template that AAP has provided under Section IV. Proposal Requirements. MSU PI’s should identify the relevant fiscal officer within their department and verify within the budget template    Indirect costs are not allowed. This is because AAP is an entity directly funded by Michigan State University. Projects funded by AAP do not allow for indirect, administrative, or contingent costs. AAP policy allows funding only for those activities that can be directly attributed to the funded project. Applicants are responsible for communicating with and receiving approvals from appropriate administrative, research, or finance offices at their institutions and to verify that they understand that indirect costs are not allowed under this grant program. II. Eligibility Proposals should include co-PIs (project leads) from each of the partner institutions included in the proposal. Proposals must include PI(s) from MSU and PI(s) from at least one other AAP consortium member (Egerton University, Makerere University, University of Dar es Salaam, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Botswana, University of Nigeria-Nsukka, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Université des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Bamako, University of Pretoria, United States International University – Africa, and ANAPRI). As mentioned above, AAP highly encourages South-South collaboration and proposals with multiple consortium members and/or additional partners are welcomed.  Priority will be given to PIs who have not received funding from AAP previously through any AAP-funded program. Faculty members may only be listed (as PI or as team member) on one proposal submitted to AAP for each round of funding. AAP will work with successful applicants to verify a timeline for when activities will be completed. (Partnership teams should carry out projects between June 3, 2024 and August 29, 2025). Awarded funds must be transferred to the MSU PI's department by June 30, 2024. III. Evaluation Criteria Criteria that will be used to evaluate the proposals includes: Evidence of a shared vision and mutually beneficial interests among the partners, and   a joint commitment to the success of the proposed partnership Clarity of the connection of proposed activities to AAP’s Transforming Institutions pillar Demonstrated integration of gender, equity, and inclusion principles Quality of short-term outputs/outcomes of proposed activities Potential for a sustained, productive partnership; quality of long-term impacts of proposed activities Potential for leveraging significant external funding Indicators used to evaluate the outputs/outcomes of completed projects include: Evidence of continued productive collaboration among partner institutions around transforming all organizations involved in the partnership The number and quality of institutional improvements that stem from partnership activities Symposia or conferences held to disseminate work stemming from partnership activities Collaborative grant applications submitted and awarded Collaborative research publications completed Other measures of institutional transformation as proposed by the implementing teams Reporting: A follow-up report including data on these criteria will be required 30 days after the project end date. IV. Partnership Activities Proposed partnerships should center on capacity strengthening activities, including external funding proposal development and dissemination of outputs, which contribute to transformation at all partnering institutions. Proposed activities should ultimately lead to potential long-term collaborations among the partner institutions. Follow-on funding may be allocated for continued support to develop these partnerships depending on the outcomes of the initial budget and availability of funds. V. Partnership Funding Transforming Institutions partnership funds will provide partial support of travel, meeting, and workshop costs for AAP consortium faculty members and their partners. The Co-PIs’ colleges, faculties. and/or departments will be expected to contribute to the costs of the proposed activities to ensure that the commitment to long-term partnering is shared by these units. A total of 20% match (monetary and/or in-kind) is required with contributions from all partners. These awards should ultimately result in the development and submission of a collaborative funding proposal (including partner institution faculty) for external funding, as well as having positive impacts on other indicators of institutional transformation. VI. Proposal Requirements Proposals must be submitted in English via the online submission form linked below and should include the following documents: Narrative (maximum of five pages), which addresses the specific areas below. Please use these as section headings in the proposal, which will help applicants organize their proposals and help the reviewers score the proposals.  The proposed topics or issues that the activities will address The activities being proposed for this funding. Please include a description of the activities, the role of each partner, and the timeline.  A general description of the partners and individuals who will take part in the project  The history of partnership among those involved and the potential for sustained future engagement A description of the partners’ shared vision and how each partner will benefit from the proposed activities Considerations taken for gender, equity, and inclusion (in terms of the team members and the project activities) How the activities will contribute to transforming all the institutions included in the partnership. Please describe the objectives of the activities, the anticipated short-term outcomes of the project, and their relation to the institutions’ needs The anticipated longer-term outcomes and impact of the proposed activities Identification of external funding opportunities that could support the proposed research/activities in the future Short project summary (200 words maximum) giving an overview of the work proposed including expected impacts, project outputs, etc. Letters of endorsement from each applicants’ deans, department chairpersons, or supervisors committing to a total minimum of 20% matching funds, providing a description of any monetary or in-kind contributions from each partner institution, and acknowledging that indirect costs are not allowed. Please use the provided letter of endorsement template. Proposed itemized budget. Please use the provided budget template. VII. Submitting a Proposal Please submit proposals via our online submission form. In addition to the information required on the submission form, be sure to include all required documents listed above in (narrative, letters of endorsement, proposed budget using the provided template). Submission deadline: March 1, 2024 (11:59pm EST)  Questions Please contact AAP Program Manager Justin Rabineau (rabinea1@msu.edu) or AAP Co-Director Amy Jamison at (jamisona@msu.edu) with any questions. Read more

SERVICE–SERVILITY–SERVITUDE CALL FOR PAPERS—SUMMER SCHOOL Labour history has long been framed through the ‘free/unfree’ divide. Moreover, slavery as well as wage labour, indentured work and convict labour, as well as other labour relations, have traditionally been studied in isolation from each other. In the last decades, however, labour historians have highlight- ed the need to move beyond the ‘free/unfree’ divide (van der Linden and Brass, 1997; van der Linden 2008), expanded the range of labour relations un- der study, and insisted on the relevance of a proces- sual perspective (De Vito, Schiel and van Rossum, 2020; Schiel and Heinsen, forthcoming). Especially the latter approach highlights the complex making of labour coercion, and offers the possibility to re- think key concepts, e.g. the ‘working class’, and pe-riodisations in labour history. Building on these new insights, the summer school foregrounds the potential of the concepts of ‘service’, ‘servility’ and ‘servitude’ to provide further entry points into this expanded labour history. At the same time, it seeks to uncover the historical importance of service and servile forms of labour that have been marginalized through discourses that focus on ‘free/ unfree’ labour, or have been addressed within isolat- ed fields of research. We think of labour regimes as diverse as family la- bour or domestic service, we look at shopworkers sharing work-spaces as well as close social ties in an Asian ‘bazaar’, we address inmates who worked in private households, or doing service as a pun- ishment for certain crimes, workers in ‘informal’ backyard manufacturing units, farm hands living on  the margins of agricultural households, or tributary and enslaved workers tied to service provision with- in the relationship to their ‘employers’ or polity. The triad of ‘service – servility – servitude’ operates as a structuring element particularly for types of work marked by high socio-spatial proximity with capital, one that provides an alternative facet for the inquiry into labour relations and enriches our understanding of the complexities of labour coercion. Thus, we are not only expanding the scope of current discourses on labour, but also the theoretical – more often than not binary – framework often applied. Using the triad ‘service – servility – servitude’ opens up new perspectives in the study of labour, and will consider overlooked histories. We seek to bring together early-career and estab- lished scholars working in the field from across the world, specifically highlighting the implications of studies on and from the Global South towards our understanding of global modernities in labour re- gimes without restricting our inquiry by excluding the contexts of the Global North. The summer school is designed to allow PhD students not only to present their own work, but also to engage with theoretical and methodological questions in training groups organized and moderated by established scholars. Reading sessions of key texts from diverse regions, small reading groups and discussing writing meth- ods will provide a space for students to openly dis- cuss challenges faced during research and writing phases. Participants are encouraged to suggest or provide a paper or a source which inspired their re- search. The summer school will be held at the Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói-Brazil. It is open to grad-uate students in history, sociology, anthropology, and archaeology, based in any part the world. We welcome paper proposals: •focusing on any geographical and chrono- logical context; • addressing different aspects of the triad ‘ser- vice – servility – servitude’; •exploring aspects like race, gender, sexuali- ty, and even an intersectionality perspective in connection to the applicants’ research themes.   Please submit your paper proposal (approx. 500 words), abstract, a short summary of you argument, current affiliation and short bio-note latest by 15 July, 2023 to: paulocruzterra@id.uff.br Subject: Summer school: Service – Servility – Servitude Candidates with PhD funding are expected to fund their trips. However, candidates without funding can apply in their application for support of their travel expenses. You will be informed about the outcome of your application by 15 August 2023. Successful applicants will be expected to pre-circulate their papers among the participants by 30 October 2023. For further information and queries, please contact: Paulo Cruz Terra - paulocruzterra@id.uff.br Michaela Dimmers - dimmers@mwsindia.org Organizers Paulo Cruz Terra, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói-Brazil Christian G. De Vito, Bonn Center for Development and Slavery Studies, Bonn, GermanyMichaela Dimmers, Max Weber Forum for South Asian Studies, Delhi, India and Centre for Modern Indian Studies, Göttingen, GermanySebastian Schwecke, Max Weber Forum for South Asian Studies, Delhi, India Nitin Varma, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany   https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/networks.h-net.org/user/login?destination=node*12878235__;Lw!!HXCxUKc!xG5cbwfRnov-_t-LpqbdmKgrFR4aMSR-jpJ-WKppfFGWfbc_46W3Wl5bm0vTb77mKSxcc-a89NQmldaz8PKLLeW2UPnw$   Read more

Yearbook for the History of Global Development ed. Iris Borowy, George Bob-Milliars, Nicholas Ferns, and Corinna R. Unger   Colonialism and Development Joseph Hodge, Miguel Bandeira Jerónimo, and Sarah Stockwell, coords.   Call for Papers The historical understanding of the multifaceted trajectories of development – as a set of contested discourses, as multiple institutional complexes and as a heterogenous repertoire of policies and practices – has evolved significantly in the past few years. This scholarship has included a fresh historical assessment of ‘colonial development’, critically engaging with its varying chronologies and dynamics; geographies and actors; motivations and ends; and its repertoires and consequences, planned and unintended. We now have a rich literature that engages with the diverse contexts, dynamics and problems of development and its intersection with other major historical phenomena of the twentieth century, such as the institutionalization of international organizations, the intensification of urbanization and industrialization, the widening of globalizing dynamics and global integration, decolonization, and the emergence of the ‘Cold War’ and the ´Third World’. This volume aims to register many of these historiographical achievements specifically as they relate to colonialism offering a critical overview of existing scholarship and documenting its variety and richness, while also probing existing chronologies (e.g., the colonial/postcolonial) and geographies of development. While engaging with established fields of interest (for example, those related to international development; the relationship between science and development; and the connected histories of politics and development in a context of global decolonization), the volume seeks to open up new avenues of enquiry by adopting a more capacious approach to ‘colonial development’. It proposes to do this, first, by incorporating a wide range of empires and sites of development and exploring their connected histories, focusing on the circulation, and selective appropriation, of ideas, knowledge, human resources, and of capital and goods associated with development. Secondly, the volume will foreground a greater variety of state actors than usual (the military, for example) as well as the non-state actors that alongside colonial, international, and trans- and inter-imperial organizations were key players in the historical unfolding of development in colonial contexts. These non-state actors include missionaries, churches, NGOS, and philanthropic agencies; and banks, commercial organizations, and especially, mining and plantation companies. Finally, the volume will explore development in all its different modalities. These might include  representations and other cultural expressions of development (from literature and film to advertising); the techniques, technologies and the business of development (including infrastructures, patent history, and companies); ecological issues (from environmental consequences to the birth of ‘sustainable development’); the gendered dynamics associated with developmental discourses and practices; or the role played by racism and forms of racialization in the formulation and enactment of development policies (including in relation to population politics, and the spatialization of difference and welfare policies). The expansive approach taken by our volume will be underpinned by two methodological goals. The first is to promote the cross-fertilization of historiographies focused on (colonial) development and those dealing with human rights, humanitarianism, philanthropy, welfare, security, and business. For example, contributions to the volume might explore the intersection between developmental projects and educational and welfare schemes (e.g., housing or public health). Second, the edited collection seeks to incorporate local voices and arguments, expanding the number of individuals and communities (men and women) understood as contributing to the dynamics of development (e.g., farmers, workers, ‘traditional’ authorities and white settlers, diverse ‘middleman groups’, and ‘experts’). It will seek to recover their inspirations and expectations, resources and agency, aims, solidarities and commitments. In short, a (plural) view from the ‘global south’, including its articulation with wider individual and institutional networks (in the ‘global north’, but also in other geographies of the ‘global south’) is fundamental to new, critical histories of (colonial) development. The editors would welcome contributions dealing with these questions and addressing the following themes (including contributions that connect two or more themes), to be published at the series Yearbook for the History of Global Development (De Gruyter: https://www.degruyter.com/serial/yhgd-b/html?lang=en#volumes ), in early 2025: (1) Genealogies of colonial development: chronologies and periodizations (2) Geographies colonial development: the spatialities, scales, and sites of developmentalism (3) The internationalization of (colonial) development: national, international, transnational, inter-imperial and trans-imperial, connected histories of development (4) Trajectories of colonial development: experts and expertise, networks and careers; (5) Cultures and manifestations of colonial development: representations and materialities of development (6) Gendered development: women and the historical dynamics of developmentalism (7) The political economy of development: techniques, technologies, and the business of developmentalism (8) The sciences of development: knowledge, institutions, practices (9) The racialization of development: race and racism in the idioms and repertoires of development (10) The agents of developmentalism: state and non-state actors (11) Ecologies of development: environmental problems and consequences (12) Development and the ‘social question’ in colonial contexts: connected histories of welfare, education, humanitarianism, human rights, housing. (13) The infrastructures of development: communication, energy, logistics (14) Repressive developmentalisms: the intersections between security and development   If interested, please send your proposal (title, abstract of 300–500 words, and a 2-page CV) to colonialism.development@gmail.com by August 30, 2023. Read more

Articles published in 2022 are eligible for the QASA prizes: The Queer African Studies Association Prize for Best Published Scholarly Essay by a Graduate Student The Queer African Studies Association Prize for Best Published Scholarly Essay by a Junior Scholar To nominate, use this form https://forms.gle/X1BoufgL5R4ZkZxS6 (self-nominations are encouraged). The full information is: These two prizes are awarded for the best published essays (i.e., journal articles or chapters in a multi-author volume) to appear in a scholarly publication (broadly defined, including peer-reviewed journals and university press books but not limited to them) in the previous calendar year (e.g., online or in print between January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022) in the field of queer African studies (broadly defined, including essays within any discipline, on any topic, on any African region, people, culture, etc.). The prizes go to, respectively, graduate students (at the time of the essay’s publication) and junior scholars (those who are, at the time of the essay’s publication, postdocs, adjuncts, independent scholars, activists, visiting untenured professors, or untenured faculty at the time of publication). Nominees need not be QASA or ASA members. The QASA Prize Committee selects the best essay from among the nominated essays. Essays must be nominated using the authorized Google Form at https://forms.gle/YcN93ACtzEeYhEV57. The award winners will be announced at the annual African Studies Association conference every November. Award winners will receive a small cash prize. Read more

Call for Papers International Conference: Online and In-Person Lisbon, 22-23 September 2023 Venue: NOVA University of Lisbon, Portugal   In January 1963, the PAIGC (Partido Africano para a Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde – African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde) engaged in an armed struggle against Portuguese colonial rule in Guinea-Bissau. Soon afterwards, the movement started to claim control over part of the Guinean territory, the so-called liberated areas. From 1965 onwards, liberated areas became a key concept and one of the linchpins of the PAIGC diplomacy and were linked by the movement to the attempt to establish a proto-state through state-building programs to provide health, economic, educational, technical, judiciary, and administrative assistance to the local populations. The movement conceived the liberated areas and state-building programs to fit into contemporary paradigms of statehood and to be used as means to gain the support of formal allies and informal networks of solidarity, as well as to place internationally the struggle and the demand for independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde. This becomes evident in the way the PAIGV endeavoured to delegitimize the Portuguese rule and to convince the international community that the situation in Guinea was comparable to an independent state with a portion of its territories, namely the urban areas, occupied by foreign armed forces.   Claiming that Portugal was no longer capable of ruling over most of the Guinean territory, the PAIGC leader, Amílcar Cabral, started in May 1968 to contemplate the unilateral proclamation of independence as part of his strategy to win the war. The proclamation was postponed several times and only in the early 1970s the idea came to fruition. The progress of the armed struggle coupled with the United Nations (UN) visiting mission to Guinea, held between 2 and 8 April 1972, became a strong stimulus to the intention of unilaterally proclaiming independence. After securing recognition by the UN as the sole and authentic representative of the Guinean population, the PAIGC held elections to the People’s National Assembly and established the Republic of Guinea-Bissau on 24 September 1973. Soon, many countries recognized the unilateral declaration of independence, and 50 UN member states requested a General Assembly debate on the situation in the territory. From the beginning, the intention behind the request was clear since the wording of the issue in the agenda reproduced the PAIGC rhetoric of “illegal occupation by Portuguese military forces of certain sectors of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and acts of aggression committed by them against the people of the Republic.”   Resolution 3061 (XXVIII), of 2 November 1973, approved by the General Assembly took the independence of Guinea-Bissau for granted, although Portugal denied the existence of the Republic and argued that it did not meet the criteria of a nation. Nevertheless, the resolution only welcomed the accession of the people of Guinea-Bissau to independence, failing to recognize the formation of a new sovereign state. This was a symptom of how divisive the recognition of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau was for member states, with the United States and the United Kingdom threatening to use the veto power in case of a request for admission at the UN. No attempt was made for the membership of the Republic at the UN, but resolution 3061 (XXVIII) deeply influenced the future of the independence struggle in Guinea-Bissau. The document established that since the PAIGC held control over part of the territory, a unilateral proclamation of independence was a legitimate action. Moreover, the resolution refused Portugal’s claim to represent the colony, branding the country as an aggressor that was violating the sovereignty and integrity of an independent state.   The proclamation of independence significantly increased the international notoriety of the PAIGC and of Guinea-Bissau. The event played a crucial role in the process of recognition by Portugal of the independence of Guinea-Bissau that occurred on 10 September 1974. Overall, the Guinean anticolonial liberation struggle transformed the face of the world politics: it worked as a catalyst for the regime change in Portugal. It was one the driving forces behind the Carnation Revolution (25 April 1974), that brought the Estado Novo dictatorship to an end. The Guinean anticolonial struggle also influenced the whole Portuguese decolonization in Africa and opened pathways to establish state partnerships and placed Guinea-Bissau as a global political actor. This is why, as a local historical fact, the proclamation of Guinea independence should be scrutinized through the lens of connected histories, to consider its local, regional, international and transnational dimensions and scopes in order to shed light on the multiple aspects, dynamics, impacts and ramifications the event generated in Africa and elsewhere.   Although the unilateral proclamation of independence has been highlighted in the scholarship regarding the struggle for the independence of Guinea-Bissau, there is a need to explore the subject in greater depth. To expand the parameters of inquiry on the Guinea-Bissau rise to statehood (and taking into account the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Unilateral Proclamation of Independence), the Institute of Contemporary History–NOVA University of Lisbon and the CEIS 20–University of Coimbra will organize an international conference to be held online and in-person on 22 and 23 September 2023.   Proposals for 20-minute presentations on issues related to the unilateral proclamation of independence will be accepted, including but not limited to the following topics: -comparison with other cases of unilateral declarations of independence; -the PAIGC’s strategies for internal legitimacy and international recognition of the unilateral declaration; -the recognition of the state of Guinea-Bissau by other countries around the globe; -how the proclamation impacted the work of networks of international solidarity with the PAIGC; -the intersection of the unilateral proclamation with the Cold War and the Third-Worldism dynamics; -the narratives about the proclamation of the state of Guinea-Bissau created by different actors (journalists, filmmakers, writers, artists, diplomats, and so on); -the reactions of Portuguese authorities; -how the Guinea-Bissau’s unilateral proclamation contributed to the Carnation Revolution and to the end of Portuguese colonial rule; -the recognition of the proclamation by Portugal after 25 April 1974; -the transfer of powers after the recognition and the relations of Guinea-Bissau with neighboring countries, namely Senegal and Guinea-Conakry; -the impacts of the proclamation on the negotiations for the independence of Cabo Verde and the other Portuguese African colonies. Abstracts of presentations (300 words) and biographical notes (250 words) should be sent to: unilateralindependence@gmail.com   Deadline for submission of abstracts: 30 June Notification of acceptance: 30 July Working language: Portuguese, English and French. The organizers foresee the publication of the communications.   Organizing Committee Aurora Almada e Santos – IHC-IN2PAST-NOVA University of Lisbon Julião Soares Sousa – CEIS 20-University of Coimbra Víctor Barros – École des Hautes Études Hispanique et Ibérique–Casa de Velázquez and IHC- IN2PAST-NOVA University of Lisbon   Scientific Committee Carlos Cardoso – Center of Social Studies Amílcar Cabral  Rui Jorge Semedo – National Institute of Studies and Research Odete Semedo – National Institute of Studies and Research Miguel de Barros – Center of Social Studies Amílcar Cabral   Patrícia Godinho – Federal University of Bahia P. Khalil Saucier – Bucknell University Read more or reply Read more

Conference  - 6-7 June 2024 - Department of African Studies - University of Vienna, Austria   As African countries became independent, being represented in state institutions was a political goal for many women, but undoing the legacy of colonial politics and gaining public visibility in the political field was no easy task. Despite serious difficulties and challenges, women vied for offices, campaigned, talked and wrote about politics, voted, and expressed their ideas within various institutions (organizations, political party, unions, local and national assemblies…). They were strategic actors in the processes of postcolonial state building. Yet, their history has remained confined to a separate section of African politics, the “women’s section”. While African political history has long been dominated by male actors, the history of African women in politics has been primarily written from the perspective of grassroots politics and women’s role in social and economic development projects. A new wave of scholarship has recently begun to address this discrepancy in the historiography, with scholars exploring the ways women have challenged established political orders “from the top”, from creative writing to frontal opposition to presidential rule (see for example (Tchouta Mougoué, 2019; Musila, 2020; Adima 2022). This literature shows that African women’s politics must be placed at the heart of narratives of state building, party politics, governance and presidential rule, that political narratives need to be complexified, concepts rethought, and that new sources must be  sought to acknowledge African women’s complex modes of political imagination, action, and language.Building on this trend, this conference aims to retrieve histories of African women’s contribution to the postcolonial politics of state building. Who were the women who vied for positions of power, how/why did they campaign (or were appointed), for which ideas? What did they achieve during their political mandates, which challenges did they face? What did they do afterwards, what impact did they have? Which sources are available to document their stories? What are the methodological challenges that emerge when retrieving these sources and/or writing these histories? Case studies focusing on specific leaders, historical periods and/or countries are welcome. Papers may explore (but are not confined to) the following themes: ·      Documenting generations of African female politicians: pioneers, outsiders, through the lens of elite reproduction… ·     Documenting women’s modes of action in elite politics: via state and non-state organizations; informal and formal networks; African women’s roles in connecting multiple political spaces: at home, in local, national, or international politics. ·     Documenting the lives of non-conventional actors and the politics of silencing, cooptation, or amnesia. ·     Sources & Methodologies to retrieve women’s postcolonial political history; oral, visual, and/or material sources; personal testimonies. ·     Political languages: use of symbolic political languages (motherhood, politicization of the body…); how precolonial forms of politics inform African women’s postcolonial politics/activism; feminist discourses (applying a longue durée perspective). ·     Conceptual reflections: exploring the politics of “empowerment” and “disempowerment”; “women’s political space”… Please send an abstract (250 words max) and a short biography (100 words) to womenafricanhistory2024@univie.ac.at before 15th October 2023. Limited funding is available to cover hotel and travel costs for participants based in African countries. Please indicate in your proposal if you require financial assistance. Thank you! Read more

Deadline: Jun 09, 2023 Donor: Peacebuilding Support Office Grant Type: Grant Grant Size: More than $1 million Countries/Regions: Bosnia And Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo DR, El Salvador, Gambia, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan Area: Climate Change, Environment, Natural Resources, Peace & Conflict Resolution, Women & Gender, Youth & Adolescents The Peacebuilding Fund has launched an open call for the Gender Promotion Initiative (GPI) and the Youth Promotion Initiative (YPI) Program. For more information, visit https://www.un.org/peacebuilding/content/gypi-en Premium Link: https://grants.fundsforngospremium.com/opportunity/op/Call-for-Proposals-Gender-and-Youth-Promotion-initiatives Read more