Atlas: France > Horn of Africa

The Fondation Maison des sciences de l'homme (FMSH) and the French Center for Ethiopian Studies (CFEE) are offering post-doctoral fellows residing in France a mobility grant for a 2 to 3 month research stay in the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somaliland).

Support will be given to research projects that are in line with the CFEE's scientific policy, in synergy with its researchers or partners in the region. Interdisciplinary projects are welcome.

This call is part of the Atlas Programme for short-term postdoctoral mobility launched by the FMSH and its partners.

Financial terms and conditions

A financial aid of 1 200€ per month of stay is attributed to the laureates. It is intended to cover transportation and living expenses.

Eligibility criteria

• Nationality/Residence:
  Be a national of a European Union country and reside in France.
• Degree/status:
  Be a postdoctoral fellow in SHS and have defended his/her thesis as of 2017. Be associated with a research center / laboratory in France.
• Discipline:
  Be engaged in research in the humanities and social sciences.
• Language:
  Be fluent in English.

Obligations of researchers hosted at the CFEE

Researchers hosted at the CFEE are required to reside in one of the countries covered by the CFEE: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somaliland, with the exception of South Sudan and Somalia. Researchers residing in Addis Ababa participate in the scientific life of the French Center, where they have a working space. The others are strongly encouraged to come and present their work at least once.

They are asked to submit to the CFEE and the FMSH within 30 days of the end of their stay a report of between 10,000 and 20,000 characters (including spaces and notes) presenting the activities carried out during their stay.

Application form

Applicants must submit a form and a scientific file (research project + annexes) on an online platform. The online platform will be accessible from 16 January 2023. The complete applications must be uploaded on the online platform no later than March 17, 2023, 17:00 (Paris time).

The application form and the scientific file must be submitted in French.

Content of the scientific file

The research project: The research project (between 10,000 and 20,000 characters maximum) must include precisely the steps that the candidate intends to accomplish during his/her stay, the theoretical and methodological framework, the institutional partners involved in the research.

Appendices:

• A signed letter of motivation, explaining the reasons for the stay at the CFEE and the scientific partners of interest for the research project.
• A CV of maximum 2 pages with a list of publications
• A letter from the director of the laboratory / research center with which the candidate is associated in France

How to apply?

1. Go to http://calls.msh-paris.fr and enter the "Researcher Workspace"
2. Log in if you have already created an account, if not, create an account
3. Fill in your profile and click on "create a new application"
4. Select "Atlas outgoing 2023 Program" then the specific call "FMSH-CFEE: France > Horn of Africa"
5. Fill in all the tabs of the form
6. In the "Documents" tab, upload a single electronic document in pdf format containing the following documents
   • Research project
   • Signed cover letter
   • CV of maximum 2 pages and list of publications
   • Letter from the director of the laboratory / research center with which the applicant is associated in France
7. You can save your application without submitting it and come back to it later, or you can submit it permanently. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automatic confirmation email. Please note that if your application is not submitted it will not be considered. Applications that are incomplete or do not match the description above will not be considered.

For any information on the platform, or in case of difficulty in using it, contact fadili@msh-paris.fr

Selection criteria and process

A selection committee composed of members of the FMSH, the CFEE and external experts will analyze and select the applications based on the following elements:

• The quality of the scientific file and the methodology developed
• The relevance of a mobility in the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somaliland) with regard to the project developed and the researcher's background
• The ability to identify scientific contacts on site

Researchers who have never benefited from the program will be given preference.