The fellowship welcomes applications from across the Global South for a grant of up to $5,000 to complete translations of works from the African continent and its diaspora, into English or Arabic. This is a non-residential fellowship that allows the recipient scholar to complete the work outside of The Africa Institute (Sharjah, UAE). The aim of the fellowship is to make important texts in African and African Diaspora studies accessible to a wider readership across the world.

Funding

  • The fellowship provides funding in the range of $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the quality and breadth of the project.

Eligibility

  • Applications are welcome from across the Global South.
  • Grant request should be to complete translations of works from the African continent and its diaspora, into English or Arabic.
  • Selected projects may be retranslations of old, classic texts, previously untranslated works, poetry, prose, or critical theory collections. The project may be a work-in-progress, or a new project feasible for completion within the timeframe of the grant.

Selection Process

  • All applications will be reviewed by The Africa Institute’s faculty and research fellows.
  • Recipients will be chosen based on the quality of the proposal, and the demonstrated capacity of the applicant to complete the project. ​​
  • The monetary award shall be disbursed in two halves. The first half shall be transferred at the start of the project and the second payment shall be transferred at the completion of the project.
  • The Africa Institute requires the receiving of a copy of the translation for its archival purposes only. The translation will not be published or used for any other purposes unless agreed upon with the awardee.

How To Apply

Applications must include:

  •  A two-page CV/résumé including institutional affiliation, educational qualifications, including highest degree received, and key publications/works produced
  •  A two-page narrative explaining the translation to be undertaken during the fellowship period, an explanation of the importance of the work, a justification for a re-translation, if applicable, and proposed dates of completion. The project may be a work-in-progress or a new project that fits within the timeframe of the grant.
  •  A 4–5-page (double-spaced) sample of the original text(s) and translation.
  •  An explanation of the work’s copyright status: If the work is not in the public domain, please include a copy of the copyright notice from the original text, and a letter from the copyright holder stating that English language rights to the work are available.

Submitted applications must include a statement, sample, copyright status (if applicable), and CV, in that order into a single PDF file. Name the file with the applicant’s name in this format: LASTNAME-FIRSTNAME.pdf. Use the same name in the email subject heading LASTNAME-FIRSTNAME application and send PDF as an email attachment to translation@theafricainstitute.org.

For more information, visit The Africa Institute.

Application Deadline: June 1, 2023