ECR Writing Development Programme 2025-27

Call for Applications: 

Writing Development Programme for Early-Career Researchers in African Leadership Ethics

Leadership Ethics Africa: Research Network (LEA:RN)

Summary:

The project will support early-career African researchers in developing publishable manuscripts on African approaches to leadership ethics. It will bring together up to 12 early-career researchers with experienced journal editors and scholars for intensive mentorship, culminating in a writing workshop. It combines three key phases: pre-workshop online mentoring, a two-day workshop (22-24 September, 2026), and sustained post-workshop support to ensure successful publication outcomes. Each participant will have a designated primary mentor. Participants will gain academic writing skills through structured feedback sessions, grant-writing training, and publication strategy development. Focusing on African philosophical perspectives on leadership ethics, the project addresses crucial development challenges while building research capacity. The workshop will be delivered through a partnership between the Leadership Ethics Africa: Research Network (LEA:RN), the University of Leeds, the University of Fort Hare and the University of Malawi. The project prioritises African participation, addressing structural inequalities while promoting African scholarly perspectives in global leadership ethics discourse.

Call for Applications:

With generous funding from the British Academy, the Leadership Ethics Africa: Research Network (LEA:RN) is pleased to announce its mentorship programme for Africa-centred Early-career Researchers in philosophy or other ethics-related disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. Participants will work with senior scholars based in Africa and Europe (see below) to develop their writing and publishing capacities. Each participant will aim to complete a publishable output on the “African Leadership Ethics” theme.  

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must (as of 1st April, 2025) be within five years of completing their PhDs or be advanced doctoral candidates who have submitted their thesis or are near submission. 
• Applicants must either be based at an African institution or demonstrate substantial connections to the African continent through research and professional activities.
• Applicants must be fluent in spoken and written English.
• Applicants’ research must be based in philosophy or another ethics-related discipline within the humanities or social sciences.

Application Process

Applicants should submit the following in a single PDF document in English:

• CV 
• Confirmation that you are a PhD candidate who has submitted their thesis, is close to completion, or is within 5 years of the award of the PhD (on the 1st April 2025).
• Abstract of the proposed article (max. 1000 words) to be developed, written, and prepared for publication under the mentoring program. This should make clear the conclusion(s) of the proposed article and the strategy for argumentation in support of it. It should make clear how the proposal meets the criteria of academic excellence, depth of ethical or philosophical engagement with leadership (projects need not necessarily be based in the discipline of philosophy if they demonstrate a credible depth of engagement with ethics), and connection with African thought and/or relevance to the African context.
• A 300-word letter of motivation that indicates (a) your research interests, (b) why you are interested in the mentoring programme, and (c) how the programme will contribute to your career development.

Selection Criteria

The selection committee will assess each application according to the following criteria:

• Academic merit of the candidate
• Academic merit of the research proposal, particularly its depth of ethical or philosophical engagement.
• The relevance of the proposed research to “African Leadership Ethics”, i.e. approaches to leadership ethics based in African traditions of thought and/or the study of leadership ethics as applied to the African context.
• Significance of the proposed project for advancing our understanding of African Leadership Ethics.
• Potential for career development through participation in the programme.

LEA:RN is grateful to the following scholars for agreeing to serve as mentors:

• Prof. Helen Frowe (University of Stockholm): Journal of Applied Philosophy
• Prof. Gerald Lang (University of Leeds): Journal of Applied Philosophy
• Prof. Christine Hobden (Wits University); Theoria
• Prof. Laurence Piper (Högskolan Väst): Theoria
• Dr Dimpho Maponya (University of Johannesburg): South African Journal of Philosophy
• Prof. Jonathan Chimakonam (University of Pretoria): Filosofia Theoretica
• Prof Grivas Kayange (University of Malawi): Department of Philosophy
• Prof. Chris Alsobrook (University of Fort Hare): Centre for Leadership Ethics in Africa (CLEA)
• Prof. Pedro Tabensky (Rhodes University), Allan Gray Centre for Leadership Ethics (AGCLE)
• Dr. Nolwandle Lembethe (Rhodes University / AGCLE)
• Dr. Lindsay Kelland (Rhodes University / AGCLE)
• Prof. Louise du Toit (Stellenbosch University)

We are grateful also to the following for agreeing to provide input to the programme:

• Prof. Thaddeus Metz (University of Pretoria)

Application deadline: 

10th July, 2025.

Submit applications to: 

workshop@leadershipethics.africa 

Project team:

Principal Investigator:	Dr. Jamie Dow (University of Leeds
Co-Investigator:	Dr. Amara Esther Chimakonam (University of Fort Hare)
Co-Investigator:	Dr. Yamikani Ndasauka (University of Malawi)