The Five College African Scholars Program

Summary: The Five College African Scholars Residency Program works to
strengthen intellectual capacity in African universities and to enrich
Africa-focused scholarship at the Five Colleges and internationally. It

does so by bringing junior and mid-level African scholars, employed by
and teaching in African universities and with active research projects
with an African focus, for 5- and 10-month research residencies at
Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith
College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, neighboring
institutions associated in the Five College Consortium centered in
Amherst, Massachusetts.

Program Requirements: Residents will be expected to complete scholarly
projects aimed to result in publication. Each scholar will be provided
with a laptop computer, which s/he may retain once the residency is
complete, so as to sustain subsequent contact by e-mail. Each scholar
will be hosted by one of the five institutions, which will supply office

space, telephone and web access, and partnership with a local faculty
sponsor. Each resident will have access to library and other research
facilities at all five institutions. All residents will participate in
an interdisciplinary Residents’ Research Seminar including fellow
residents and Africanist faculty from the five colleges, and will be
expected to present their work to the seminar, which will be conducted
in English. Teaching is not a requirement of the residency, although
residents may be invited as guest speakers in courses offered at the
five campuses.

Eligibility: Eligibility for Residencies is limited to junior and
mid-level African scholars employed by and teaching at African
universities who intend to return to their institutions in Africa upon
completion of their residencies. Academic leave authorization must be
certified by the applicant’s home institution at the time of
application, as well as the right of the Resident to return to his or
her position upon completion of the Residency. Applications are welcome

from scholars in all disciplines and may be comparative in nature with
an African focus. Applicants must submit with their application a
proposal describing a research project to be completed during the
residency term. Interdisciplinary projects are encouraged. Note: We will

ask the US Immigration authorities to issue a J-1 visa for those whom we

invite to be Residents. Please be aware that current US immigration
regulations require that an individual who leaves the United States,
having been here on a J-1 visa, may not return under another J-1 visa
until twelve months have elapsed.

Timing: The first residencies begin in January 2003 and the program is
expected to continue at least into 2007. Application deadlines:

Residency Deadline
January 1 – May 31 preceding June 1
August 1 – December 31 preceding December 1
August 1 – May 31 preceding December 1

Support includes airfare to and from Africa, a monthly stipend of
$3,000, housing or a housing allowance, and health insurance for
Residents who meet the U.S. Department of State requirements for J-1
exchange visitors. Reimbursement of certain research expenses (books,
research materials, travel to conferences within the United States,
etc.) is also available – up to $600 for five-month Residencies and up
to $1200 for ten-month Residencies

The Five College African Scholars Residency Program is generously
supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and by the five
colleges. The Program is administered by the Five College African
Studies Council, representing 30 Africanists from a range of fields at
all five institutions. The Council sustains an intensive collaboration,

allowing the institutions to combine the substantial resources available

to support African studies at each of the campuses. Members of the
Council edit the African Studies Review, the principal journal of the
African Studies Association.

For more information and application details, go to the African Scholars

Program website at http://www.fivecolleges.edu/asp/, or call, write, or
fax the program at:

Five College African Scholars Program
Herter Hall
University of Massachusetts
Amherst MA 01003
USA

Telephone: 413/577-3778
Fax: 413/577-3781
E-mail: [email protected]
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Thank you for your help.

Ralph Faulkingham, PhD
Interim Academic Director