Application Deadline: Monday, October 26th, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time.
LOCATION: USA
Princeton in Africa (PiAf) is a nonprofit organization that offers year-long paid postgraduate fellowship opportunities with a variety of organizations working across the African continent. Fellowships are open to graduates of U.S.-accredited colleges & universities as well as colleges & universities based on the African continent.
ELIGIBILITY:
To be eligible for the 2027-28 Princeton in Africa Fellowship, all applicants must:
Be young professionals or current undergraduates graduating by June 2027 at the time of application.*
Hold a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or a Ph.D. from either:
A 4-year U.S.-accredited university, or
A 4-year locally-accredited university based in Africa
Have full professional proficiency in speaking, reading and writing English as defined by the CEFR (Level C1 and above). Additional professional proficiency in Arabic, French, Kiswahili, or Portuguese is preferred for some posts.
Be no older than 35 years of age for the duration of the fellowship year (born on or after September 1, 1992).
Hold a passport that is valid until at least 6 months after the end of the fellowship year.
Applicants must not be enrolled in any graduate, doctoral, or equivalent advanced academic programs during their fellowship year.
To apply, please complete all sections of our online application. Please review the list below for all required components and follow the instructions on the online application carefully. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Additional details can be found in our FAQs page and in the application.
REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS:
Online application questionnaires and essays
Applicants interested in the Innovation Fellowship should complete the supplemental Innovation Fellowship questionnaire found in the application portal. Please see our FAQs for more information.
Resume or CV
Maximum 2 pages with font size 10 or higher.
PDF Format.
Official Transcript
Must be sent directly from your university to piafapp@princetoninafrica.org via a secure online platform or official university email.
Transcripts must be in English (or include an English translation). Additional details available in our FAQs.
One Letter of Recommendation
Submitted directly by your recommender via form in the online application.
Additional Notes:
Princeton in Africa does not confirm receipt of individual materials. Applicants may instead track their application materials through their application portal.
Please do not call the PiAf office with application-related questions. Instead, please direct all inquiries to piafapp@princetoninafrica.org.
Policy Updates:
Beginning with the 2027-28 Fellowship Application Cycle, all applicants will use the same application forms, regardless of University location or country of residence.
Beginning with the 2026-27 Fellowship Application Cycle, applicants will only need to request an official transcript be submitted to piafapp@princetoninafrica.org directly by their university. An unofficial transcript will no longer be required.
As of 9/17/22, Princeton in Africa is no longer requiring applicants to pay a $75 non-refundable application fee.
For more information about our application cycle timeline and placement process, please visit the How to Apply
BENEFIT:
Princeton in Africa/Fellowship Organizations cover:
Housing and living stipend.
Certain visas/work permits.
Medical insurance, medical evacuation insurance, security evacuation insurance.
Mid-year Retreat with meals, housing, and activities, and partial travel allowance.
Fellowship packages vary post-to-post; details will be provided in the offer letter prior to a Fellow’s acceptance.
Note: Fellowship stipends are intended to cover living costs directly related to the fellowship. Stipends are not meant to cover outside costs, including costs in Fellows’ home countries.
