1. South African Voices of Action in Social Sciences (SAVASS) Programme 2025-2026
This 18-month initiative is funded by the British Academy and led by Rhodes University (Sioux McKenna), Lancaster University (Tineke Brunfaut), and the University of the Free State (Melanie Walker). It supports 25 early career researchers (ECRs) from the following institutions: Walter Sisulu University; Rhodes University; Nelson Mandela University; University of Fort Hare; and the University of the Free State. The programme is a transformative research capacity-building programme designed to strengthen academic writing, publishing, and professional development for ECRs aiming to publish in accredited national and international journals. It includes 1) two funded residential workshops (at Rhodes University in August 2025 and at the University of the Free State in March 2026); 2) online mentoring and peer-support sessions; and 3) practical skills development in academic publishing, grant writing, and international collaboration. The SAVASS objectives are i) to improve academic writing tailored to international standards; ii) to engage critically with the purpose and ethics of publishing; iii) to enable strategies for successful publishing in high-impact journals; iv) to gain grant writing and research funding application skills; and v) to build long-term international research partnerships.
2. Supporting Adolescent Girls' Education – mapping the aspirations and educational needs of 'out-of-school' girls in Zimbabwe (research strand) – 2019 to present
Researcher: Associate Professor Faith Mkwananzi
Lead researcher: Alison Buckler, PhD (Open University, UK)
Supporting Adolescent Girls' Education (SAGE) is a UK Aid-funded programme through the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Girls’ Education Challenge initiative, led by Plan International and involving a consortium of six partners and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Zimbabwe (MoPSE). The research strand is longitudinal and run by the Open University. The focus of this strand is to engage the girls in aspirations for their education and future.
Read the project’s latest publication here.
3. Award of the 2025 African Fellowships for Research in Indigenous and Alternative Knowledges (AFRIAK)
Research pair: Dr Daizy S Nalwamba (Zambia) and Dr Chimwemwe Phiri-Malawi
Funder: CODESRIA, with support from the Mastercard FoundationDuration of fellowship: Seven months Title: Harnessing Indigenous Ecological Knowledge: Enhancing Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilience in Zambia and Malawi
This project aims to strengthen flood and drought early warning systems in Zambia and Malawi by documenting and integrating traditional climate forecasting mechanisms, which are often overlooked in favour of Western high-tech methods. Using participatory approaches, it engages communities, traditional leaders, policy makers, and academics to promote inclusive, locally rooted strategies for climate change adaptation and risk reduction. By centring local ecological insights, the project seeks to decolonise environmental governance and promote inclusive approaches to climate adaptation, ultimately improving early warning systems and community preparedness.