Atlas: France > East Africa

Research projects aligned with IFRA’s scientific priorities and carried out in collaboration with its researchers or partners in East Africa and the Great Lakes region will be supported. Projects focusing on youth and politics or food studies will receive particular attention.

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

Financial terms

Successful applicants will receive financial support of €1,500 per month (paid at the beginning of each month of the stay) to cover travel and living expenses.

Eligibility criteria

• Nationality/residence: Applicants must be citizens of a European Union country and reside in France.
• Qualifications/status: Applicants must hold a PhD in the humanities or social sciences, have defended their thesis since 2020, and be affiliated with a research center or laboratory in France.
• Discipline: Candidates must conduct research in the humanities or social sciences and focus on one or more East African countries. Projects should fall within IFRA’s main research areas: Political Dynamics, Social and Economic Transformations, and Natural Heritage. Particular consideration will be given to proposals addressing the themes of youth and politics or food studies.
• Language: Fluency in English is required.

Obligations of researchers hosted by IFRA

Researchers hosted by IFRA must reside in one of the countries covered by the institute: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, or eastern Congo (Kivu provinces).
Researchers based in Nairobi are expected to take part in the scientific activities of the French Institute, where they are provided with a workspace. When research is conducted outside Nairobi, researchers are nevertheless required to present their work remotely. The expected deliverables will be defined and discussed with IFRA-Nairobi’s management team.

Application file

Applicants must submit an application form and a scientific file (research project and appendices) via the online platform.
The platform will remain open until 6 February 2026, 5 p.m. (Paris time).

Both the form and the scientific file must be submitted in French.

Contents of the scientific dossier

The research project:

The research project (maximum 10,000–20,000 characters) must present the research topic and its theoretical and methodological framework, specify the activities and steps to be undertaken during the stay, and include a timetable.

Appendices:

• A signed cover letter explaining the scientific and organizational reasons for requesting financial and logistical support from IFRA, and identifying the East African institutional partners relevant to the successful completion of the research.
• A CV of no more than two pages, accompanied by a list of publications.
• A letter from the director of the laboratory or research center with which the applicant is affiliated in France.

How to apply?

1. Reach the online application form http://calls.msh-paris.fr and enter the "Researcher Workspace".
2. You have to be registered on the online platform in order to use it. If you haven’t created an account yet, you will be asked to.
3. Create your profile by filling all your personal information and then enter "create a new application".
4. Select "Programme Atlas outgoing 2026", then the specific call "FMSH-IFRA: France >East Africa".
5. Fill all the information tabs.
6. In the "Documents" final tab, you will need to upload your research proposal and the appendices into one single PDF document:

• Research proposal
• Motivation letter signed
• Curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum)
• List of publications
• Letter from the director of the laboratory/research center with which the candidate is associated in France

You can save your application and complete it later several times if you wish, until the closure of the call for applications. Once you have submitted your application, you will no longer have the possibility to amend it. Once submitted, you will receive an automatic email confirming the submission. 

Important: Applications not submitted, incomplete application forms or applications that do not match the above description will not be taken into account.

For any technical information on the platform or in case of you meet difficulties to use it, please contact fadili@msh-paris.fr.

Evaluation process and criteria

A selection committee, composed of members of FMSH, IFRA, and external experts, will review and select applications based on the following criteria:

• The quality of the scientific dossier and the robustness of the methodology.
• The relevance of conducting the research in East Africa or the Great Lakes region — Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and eastern Congo (the Kivu provinces) — in relation to the project and the applicant’s background.
• The ability to identify and establish scientific contacts on site.

Preference will be given to researchers who have not previously benefited from this mobility scheme.

The results will be communicated to applicants by email at the end of March 2026.