Calling Africa’s next data queens: AWARD Fellowship 2025

Applications are now open for the inaugural African Women in Data Science Fellowship 2025, a groundbreaking initiative by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD).

Contents

Eligibility Criteria Fellowship Components How to Apply Key Dates

Launched to address the growing demand for data-driven leadership in Africa, the Fellowship seeks to empower African women professionals with the skills and confidence needed to drive inclusive, evidence-based innovation in agriculture and climate resilience.

This programme is tailored to enhance both the technical and leadership capabilities of women using data science to tackle food insecurity and the climate crisis across the continent.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

Be female citizens of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, or Malawi.
Hold at least a master’s degree in fields such as applied statistics, biostatistics, agricultural engineering, biosystems engineering, agricultural economics, data science, bioinformatics, or related disciplines.
Have 5 to 10 years of professional experience in a data-related role, ideally connected to agriculture, climate, or development sectors.

Fellowship Components

Selected fellows will engage in a range of activities between November 2025 and September 2026, including:

Leadership Training (November 2025): A 7-day, in-person course focused on building leadership confidence and influence in data-driven contexts.
Technical Training (February 2026): A 2-week immersive workshop on Python programming, machine learning, data wrangling, visualisation, and statistical analysis.
Virtual Learning (April–May 2026): A 2-month online course applying data science tools to real-world agrifood and climate challenges.
Capstone Project (February–September 2026): Fellows will design and implement a data-driven solution to a practical problem, supported by seed funding and technical mentorship.
Advanced Science Training (May–September 2026): A competitive 1–3 month institutional placement in the fellow’s home country, offering hands-on experience and deeper technical development.

How to Apply

Begin your application here:

Key Dates

Application Deadline: July 31, 2025
Notification of Selected Participants: October 2025
Fellowship Kick-off: November 2025 (in-person training in Kenya)

Applications are now open for the 2025 African Women in Data Science Fellowship, initiated by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD). This program aims to empower African women professionals by enhancing their technical and leadership skills in data science, focusing on tackling food insecurity and climate issues across Africa.

Eligible applicants must be female citizens from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, or Malawi, hold at least a master's degree in relevant fields, and have 5-10 years of experience in data-related roles, ideally in agriculture, climate, or development sectors.

The fellowship includes various activities from November 2025 to September 2026, such as leadership training, technical workshops on programming and data analysis, virtual learning courses, a capstone project with mentorship, and advanced science training placements. Applications close on July 31, 2025, and the fellowship begins in November 2025 in Kenya.