Promoting Zambian, and Southern African Research Output: Publishing, Mentoring, and Grant-Writing Workshop

The Copperbelt University, in collaboration with the University of Dundee and the University of the Free State, with funding from the British Academy, will be holding a two-day Journal- and Grant-Writing workshop at the Garden Court Hotel in Kitwe, Zambia from 2 to 3 September 2020.

Academic research has shown that the work of African-based scholars in the Humanities and Social Sciences is underrepresented in high-impact international academic journals. There are several explanations for this situation, including a lack of research funding, difficulties in gaining access and exposure to academic journals due to costly paywalls, as well as the challenges in accessing the institutional knowledge of the whole publishing process required to submit to high-impact international journals. As a result, early-career academics from across the continent often find that the opportunities to publish their research in high-impact journals are constrained.  

Aims

The workshop is designed to address these challenges by providing focused support to early-career academics throughout Southern Africa (defined as SADC). The purpose of the workshop is to give participants the space and skillset to develop high-quality publications for international journals with an assigned mentorship team, as well as provide detailed insights and knowledge into the grant-capturing process. The workshop brings together an interdisciplinary team of academics and journal editors who will provide skills training, guidance, and support to participants through a robust mentoring scheme, while also establishing the foundations for future collaborative projects.   

Objectives

The collaborative workshop will establish an engaging space where participants from Southern Africa can work closely with academics and journal editors based within the region and the UK, and who represent prestigious publications such as the Journal of Southern African Studies and the British Journal of Political Science. It will enhance the capacity of early-career academics, develop skills directly linked to writing peer-reviewed publications and grant applications, while building the foundations of a transnational network of scholars. The workshop will use a two-level mentoring structure, with each successful applicant being assigned a mentor and a peer mentor with whom they will work while preparing a journal article for publication in an accredited international Humanities or Social Science journal. 

The two days of the workshop will consist of various interactive and collaborative activities designed to assist participants in the production of their journal articles and to address the process of securing external research funding. After the workshop, all participants will continue to receive mentorship up to the point of submitting their journal article, and they will be encouraged to develop long-term collaborative projects with mentors and other participants.    

Application process

This workshop is open to early-career scholars, who will usually be working towards a PhD or should have defended their PhD within the last ten years, and who are based in Southern African countries (defined as SADC). We particularly welcome submissions from early-career scholars based in or normally resident in Zambia.
Applications from early-career scholars broadly working within the following areas of the Humanities and Social Sciences are welcomed: 

• History 
• Political Science 
• International Relations
• Sociology 
• Anthropology
• Gender Studies
• Health
• Education
• Geography 
• Peace and Conflict Studies

The applicants to the workshop must be working on a journal article that is based upon original research and must demonstrate an ability to critically analyse this data. Those who have already published two or more articles in accredited international journals will not be considered for this workshop. 

How to apply

The deadline for initial applications is Friday 10 April 2020. The initial application should include: 

• an abstract of your journal article (150-200 words); 
• a short biography detailing your research interests and career trajectory to date (300 words); and
• a brief statement outlining your motivations for applying to the workshop and an explanation of how you believe the workshop will benefit you.

The Workshop Selection Committee – made up of academics and journal editors from Southern Africa and the UK – will inform applicants as to the outcome of their initial application shortly after the March deadline. If successful, applicants will be required to submit a full draft of the prospective journal article by Friday 12 June 2020.

Your draft article is a critical part of your application to participate in the workshop and must be submitted by Friday 12 June 2020. The draft article must be between 6 000 and 8 000 words in length, including an introduction and conclusion.  A final decision on the success of your application will only be taken once the Workshop Selection Committee has assessed the quality of your draft article.     

All successful applicants will be required to develop their paper, with the assistance of their assigned mentorship team, between June and September 2020. Applicants are also required to continue working with their mentors and peer mentors after the workshop to ensure that their article is submitted to a high-impact international journal.

Funding 

The workshop is funded by the British Academy’s Writing Workshops 2020 scheme. The full cost of travel and accommodation, as well as meals and refreshments at the workshop, will be covered by this grant for successful applicants. There is no out-of-pocket allowance for successful applicants. 

All applications should be submitted to Tari Gwena via email: gwenat@ufs.ac.za .

 

Workshop Selection Committee

• Dr Matthew Graham (University of Dundee)
• Dr Christopher Fevre (University of the Free State)
• Dr Hyden Munene (University of the Free State)
• Dr Rebekah Lee (University of London)
• Dr John Bwalya (Copperbelt University)

For more information, please contact Dr Christopher Fevre at christopher_fevre@hotmail.co.uk or Dr Hyden Munene at hydenmunene@gmail.com