The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is pleased to announce the fourth call for applications for the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowships (ADDRF). The 2011 ADDRF seeks to facilitate more rigorous engagement of doctoral students in research, strengthen their research skills, and provide them an opportunity for timely completion of their doctoral training. The fellowship targets doctoral students with strong commitment to a career in training and/or research. The overall goal of the ADDRF program is to support the training and retention of highly‐skilled, locally‐trained scholars in research and academic positions across the region.

The ADDRF will award about 15 fellowships in 2011. These fellowships will be awarded to doctoral students who are within two years of completing their thesis at an African university. Dissertation topics showing great promise of contributing significantly to efforts to strengthen health systems (governance, equity, health or population‐related issues) in the region will be given priority. In this phase of funding and in consideration of IDRC’s health programming priorities, candidates whose dissertation topics address health policy or health systems issues will be given special consideration.