CARTA (the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa) runs a collaborative doctoral training program led by a group of African universities and research institutes with international partners. It supports serving faculty and research staff at its participating African institutions to earn a PhD in public and population health while keeping their jobs. Fellows join an annual cohort and attend a series of residential Joint Advanced Seminars (JASes) that build research skills year on year, alongside supervised doctoral research at their home institution. For the 2026 cohort, CARTA offered 22 awards, with the fellowship commencing on 1 March 2026.
Benefits & funding
- A structured series of training programs, including residential Joint Advanced Seminars (JAS-1, an inter-JAS digital academic writing program, and JAS-2) in the first year.
- A laptop.
- A modest stipend paid for 28 months.
- Research funds of up to USD 10,500.
- The home institution continues to pay the fellow’s salary and waives PhD registration fees.
- Not covered: PhD registration fees, subsistence, and travel.
Eligibility
- Must be bona fide teaching or research staff at one of the 11 participating African institutions (in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda, Malawi, and Tanzania).
- Hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field.
- Not yet registered for a PhD, or in the very early stages (first year) with a research proposal not yet approved.
- Proposed PhD research must relate to public and population health.
- Age limits differ by gender: men must be under 40 and women under 45 at the time of application.
- Must secure PhD admission within 12 months of the fellowship start.
- Registered students, volunteer lecturers, and temporary staff not covered by a staff-development policy are not eligible. Women are strongly encouraged to apply.
Can you apply?
Worth a closer look
Sign in and add your profile to check this against your nationality, residency, and studies.
Education required
Master
Not in your profile yet
Age requirement
≤ 45 yrs
Not in your profile yet
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Contact the CARTA focal person at your participating institution.
- 2Submit a preliminary application through the CARTA REDCap portal by the deadline.
- 3Nominated candidates complete the full application: research proposal, CV, institutional support letter, three timed tasks, and two free online courses.
- 4CARTA reviews full applications and announces final fellowship decisions.
Program timeline
20 August 2025
Preliminary application deadline for the 2026 cohort (via REDCap).
Full application deadline for nominated candidates.
21 September 2025
Final fellowship decisions announced.
15 November 2025
Fellowship commences with JAS-1.
1 March 2026
Next cohort’s call for applications expected to open.
~August 2026