Future Africa Research Leadership Fellowship

The Future Africa Research Leadership Fellowship (FAR-LeaF) develops Africa’s next generation of science leaders through transformative, transdisciplinary, and future-oriented research. Supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and hosted by Future Africa at the University of Pretoria, the fellowship strengthens the capacity of early-career researchers to conduct impactful research that addresses complex sustainability challenges across the continent.

Future Africa defines transformative research as research that is inter- and transdisciplinary, grounded in systems thinking, informed by futures literacy, and digitally enabled to drive scientific discovery and societal engagement. FAR-LeaF encourages collaboration across disciplines, institutions, and sectors, ensuring that research outcomes are relevant to Africa’s priorities and contribute to global sustainability goals.

By investing in people and partnerships, FAR-LeaF builds a long-term community of future-focused African science leaders who can co-create knowledge, influence policy, and lead change towards equitable and resilient African futures.

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Programme phases

Since its launch, the Future Africa Research Leadership Fellowship (FAR-LeaF) programme has progressed through two phases, the inaugural FAR-LeaF I (2022–2024) and the current FAR-LeaF II (2025–2027). Together, these phases build on one another to strengthen a growing pan-African network of emerging researchers and academics dedicated to advancing science leadership and sustainable development across the continent.

ABOUT FAR-LeaF II (2025 - 2027) ABOUT FAR-LEAF I (2022- 2024)

Programme values

Future Africa’s focus on sustainability science, transdisciplinary research approaches, systems thinking skills development, and inter-sectoral collaboration, is reflected in the values of the FAR-LeaF programme:

1. Transdisciplinarity

Future Africa’s interpretation of transdisciplinary research is that it is a demand-driven and problem-oriented form of research that combines inter- and trans-disciplinary research with the participation of a range of stakeholders, including community stakeholders and policy makers, in the co-creation of the research programmes. The purpose is to create multiple learning opportunities (such as exchanges, knowledge generation, and integration of existing or newly developing knowledge). The proposed research and training in the FAR-LeaF programme will integrate research skills that strengthen the scientific capacity to apply novel methodologies on co-design and co-production and other relevant approaches vital for high-quality integrated research.

2. Leadership training in this context

Research leadership encompasses issues specific to the research ecosystem such as building linkages with policymakers, being an effective ambassador for science, and engaging with other role-players and science communities to influence research and its resourcing. As such, the program will require a strong focus on research development and management, career development, establishing interdisciplinary relationships, building networks, and acquiring leadership competencies.

3. Open Science principles and use of technology

Support for continuous online research collaboration will be provided through a virtual research environment (VRE) to facilitate intensive and extensive interaction between the Fellows and their individual research projects. Research and data management processes will be hosted on the FAR-LeaF online platform, including communicating with their research teams, establishing and archiving research materials such as data sets, conducting training, and accessing research tools.

Virtual Research Environment

Going digital is a disruptive form of scholarly activity that changes rapidly. The methods that scientists used during the pandemic hinted at a new normal in a post-pandemic world. These changes impacted on access to infrastructure that needed to be implemented in a now virtual research environment. The unique affordances of digital media include, but are not limited to, new forms of collaboration, publication, and research methods for data visualisation and analysis. While it is important to collect more data for a better understanding of the challenge, there is already a suboptimal use of current information due to a limited process of knowledge sharing. The Virtual Research Environment (VRE) allow for access to diverse virtual tools to support individual online research

Digital Literacy Tool

Digital scholarship is not limited to providing access to tools and technologies but also crucial to bridge possible skills gaps by providing the required training. In an academic environment, it is expected of individuals to develop and maintain some form of information literacy, given the acceleration of digitalisation there is an ever-increasing demand to establish and maintain a baseline of digital literacy. Digital literate individuals are in a better position to work and conduct themselves in a digital environment and become excellent digital scholars. The digital skills assessment tool assist with the identification of digital literacy proficiency and identifying the required course of action to provide relevant support.

Team

Program Director

Prof Stephanie Burton
stephanie.burton@up.ac.za

Digital Platform Coordinator

Dr Leti Kleyn
FAR-LeaF Programme

leti.kleyn@up.ac.za

Project Administrator

Ms Tidimalo Makhura
FAR-LeaF Programme

tidimalo.makhura@futureafrica.science

Content Coordinator

Ms Heidi Sonnekus
FAR-LeaF Programme

heidi.sonnekus@futureafrica.science