EARG FELLOWSHIP

A one-year, mentor-led fellowship combining intensive coursework and supervised placements on real projects. Fellows gain practical field experience, scientific writing skills and support for postgraduate applications.

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OVERVIEW

The EARG Mentorship Fellowship is a structured, competitive program for final-year undergraduates and recent graduates (≤24 months since graduation) who demonstrate strong academic potential and a commitment to research. Over 12 months, fellows complete training modules, receive one-to-one mentorship, undertake supervised field placements on consultancy or project work, and produce academic outputs such as policy briefs, reports or manuscript drafts. The fellowship prepares participants to apply for and succeed in postgraduate programs and to contribute to high-quality local research.

ELIGIBILITY

Final-year undergraduate students (any discipline) and graduates within 24 months, with a proven interest in research. EARG prioritizes candidates from Northern Ghana and under-represented backgrounds.

Applicants must submit: a completed online application form, academic transcripts, a motivation statement (≤500 words), and one referee contact. Shortlisted applicants are interviewed by a selection panel composed of EARG staff and external academic advisors.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Academic readiness; research motivation; clarity of career goals; potential for impact (community focus or research relevance); and financial need (for scholarship consideration). Selection aims for gender balance and geographic representation.

FELLOWSHIP STRUCTURE

FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING [1-2 MONTHS]: Intensive workshops on research design, qualitative & quantitative methods, sampling, ethics and safety, basics of statistics (introduction to R/Python/SPSS), and literature review techniques. Fellows complete pre- and post-training assessments.

APPLIED PLACEMENT & FIELD PRACTICUM [3-7 MONTHS]: Fellows are deployed to supervised projects (consultancies or community studies). Under mentor leadership, they conduct fieldwork, manage data collection tools, perform transcription and initial data cleaning. Fieldwork includes community engagement and adherence to safeguarding and informed consent protocols.

ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT [8-10 MONTHS]: Focus on data analysis, scientific writing, manuscript drafting, poster/abstract preparation, and grant application coaching. Fellows receive editorial support for submissions and guidance in selecting appropriate journals and conferences.

 CAPSTONE & TRANSITION [11-12 MONTHS]: Each fellow produces a capstone output (technical report, policy brief or manuscript draft), presents findings at an internal symposium, undergoes an exit evaluation and receives a certificate. Fellows are provided postgraduate application support (statement of purpose, CV enhancement, referees).

MENTOR MODEL

Each fellow is paired with a mentor (a senior academic/researcher) who commits to monthly one-to-one meetings. Mentors provide technical guidance, career advice, review written work and assist with postgraduate applications. Mentorship agreements clearly define expectations (time commitment, confidentiality and feedback cycles). Mentors also help fellows navigate ethical clearance processes and professional publishing practices.

FELLOWSHIP BENEFIT

  • Structured coursework & certification.
  • Practical placement on real projects.
  • One-to-one mentorship with senior academics.
  • Access to equipment and research tools.
  • Stipend (where available) and support for field expenses.
  • Priority consideration for EARG postgraduate scholarships.

RESPONSIBILITY & CONDUCT

Fellows must attend all core trainings, participate in placements, submit monthly progress reports, respect participant confidentiality, adhere to EARG’s safeguarding and ethics policies, and uphold professional standards.

MONITORING & EVALUATION

Fellows are assessed through attendance records, module assignments, mentor evaluations, capstone quality, and tracking of postgraduate applications and acceptances. EARG collects follow-up data for 3 years post-fellowship to measure longer-term outcomes.