Over the past 25 years the Smithsonian Institution has engaged in a robust partnership with Kenya and Kenyan science through its role in the Mpala Research Centre. Central to this has been the on-going support for fellows and fellowships at Mpala. Fellows have worked closely with Smithsonian Institution scientists in developing basic and applied research that has produced high-impact, cutting edge discoveries and led to better conservation, development and research on-the-ground in Kenya and other parts of East Africa.
In 1991, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) was instrumental in establishing the Mpala Research Centre, a site for multidisciplinary research and training in Africa, in collaboration with Princeton University, the Kenya Wildlife Service, the National Museums of Kenya, and the Mpala Wildlife Foundation. Located on the Laikipia Plateau in north central Kenya, the Centre provides an ideal setting for research in a variety of disciplines, offering 49,107 acres of savannah and dry woodland, an extensive wildlife community typical of East Africa, and ample housing and laboratory space for 35 researchers and students.
The purpose of the Mpala Postdoctoral Fellowship is to promote the study of biology, anthropology, geology, hydrology, material science, social science, soil science or related areas. Projects must be tenable in residence at Mpala Research Centre.
Deadline: Jan. 15, 2022
The Mpala Fellowship is a Postdoctoral Fellowship. Predoctoral and Masters students are ineligible.
- Postdoctoral Fellowships: Applicants are eligible to apply for postdoctoral fellowships who have or will have received the Ph.D. or equivalent. The degree must be completed by the time the fellowship begins.
- Senior Fellowships: Applicants who have had a Ph.D. or equivalent for a minimum of seven years are eligible to apply for senior fellowships. Senior Fellowship applications may be submitted one and a half years in advance.
Proposals from early career researchers employed in Kenya-based organizations that involve a part-time but multiple year commitment to research at Mpala will be given preference. This model follows that of the African Academy of Sciences, to foster development of the next generation of science leaders in Africa, while also building long-term collaborations around Mpala.