Education and African Modernities: The Development of African Universities, or the African Women Public Service Fellowship

The Franklin Mosher Baldwin Fellowships

The Fellowships were the brainchild of former Board President Ned Munger and Elisabeth G. O'Connor, the widow of Franklin Mosher Baldwin. Baldwin, a distinguished attorney, took a lively interest in the search for human origins until his death. Hoping to honor her late husband's dual interests in early man and education, O'Connor embraced the idea of a program to educate African scholars in prehistory and paleoanthropology.

The Baldwin program is based on a realistic assessment of needs and priorities. Africa possesses such extraordinary resources in the field of prehistory--rich fossil and archaeological sites that are unparalleled--that the stewardship and careful use these assets is a task of international importance. By enabling bright young scholars to obtain graduate education, the Leakey Foundation is helping to equip these individuals to assume a leadership role in the future of paleoanthropology.

Since 1978, more than 70 Baldwin Fellowships have been awarded. Recipients include young men and women from the following countries: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Republic of Congo.

This fellowship is intended for scholars with citizenship in an African country that seek to obtain an advanced degree or specialized training in an area of study related to human origins research. This award is for a program of approved special training and/or advanced training towards an MA, PhD, or equivalent and is limited to two years of support.

Applicants must be prepared to demonstrate:

- Affiliation and/or employment with an institution in their home country.
- Provisional acceptance (or evidence of application) to the host institution.
- Financial assistance from the host institution.
- Intention to return and work in the home country upon completion of training.

Only scholars with citizenship in an African country are eligible.

The applicant must have a home sponsor who is a member of the institution where the applicant is affiliated in the home country, as well as a host sponsor who is a member of the institution, which the candidate plans to pursue training. Should an award be made, the host sponsor must be willing to assume responsibility for overseeing the candidate's training. Since this fellowship is intended to be a partnership between the candidate and both the home and host institutions, it is expected that candidates will be offered support by these institutions in the form of financial assistance and, upon completion of training, employment in the home country.

Awards are limited to two years. The maximum award is limited to $12,000 per year.

Baldwin Fellowships may be used to cover tuition, travel, living expenses, student fees, insurance, books, and other relevant categories of expenditure. Aid is not provided for family expenses or dependent support, salary and/or fringe benefits of the applicant, nor institutional overhead.

Applications must be received by February 15 for the following academic year.

Your original completed formal application should reach the Foundation Office by February 15 in order to be considered for funding in the following academic year, which begins in the Fall. You must send a copy of the application to your host sponsor for his/her signature. Please instruct your host sponsor to forward this second signed copy to our office. Formal letters of support from both the home and host sponsors must also reach the office by this deadline.

Applicants must request letters from both the Home Sponsor and the Host Sponsor to be sent directly to the Foundation.

(1) The Home Sponsor must be the department head or an appropriate individual from the institution with which the candidate is affiliated in the home country and in which the candidate intends to pursue a career. The Home Sponsor must mail a letter of recommendation directly to the Foundation, separately from the application form. The letter should state (a) the candidate's qualifications; (b) the reasons the candidate needs training abroad; (c) the kinds of support (monetary or other) that the Home Institution and/or the home government will provide; and (d) the candidate's employment and research prospects upon return to the home country. Past Home Institution support has included travel and stipend supplements.

(2) The Host Sponsor must be a faculty member of the department or program in which the candidate plans to pursue training. The Host Sponsor must be willing to supervise the candidate's training and fulfillment of the terms of the Fellowship, if awarded. The Host Sponsor must mail a letter of recommendation directly to the Foundation, separately from the application form. This letter should describe (a) the candidate's prospects for success in the proposed program of study/training; (b) the length of time that is likely to be required for completion of this program; (c) the facilities and support to be made available to the candidate while at the Host Institution; and (d) any financial assistance that the Host Institution will offer the candidate. (Past Host Institutions have provided fellowship support, waived tuition, travels, or subsidized living accommodations.)

The Foundation office will notify candidates in May about the status of their applications.

Recipients of Baldwin Fellowships may request a second-year renewal of their award, unless the fellowship has been designated as a onetime award. Fellows must notify the Foundation by letter of their intent to apply for a second year renewal by February 1 and request a Renewal Application Form. By March 1 the following items must be submitted: 1) Baldwin Fellowship Renewal application, 2) a Progress Report from the Fellow, 3) accounting statement for Leakey Foundation funds already expended (signed by Host Sponsor and Fellow), 4) a copy of the Fellow's current transcript (if registered for course work), and 5) a letter of evaluation from Host Sponsor.

The following reporting requirements are conditions of the Fellowship Agreement:

Progress Reports
(1) Fellow Progress Reports: Progress Reports are required for multi-year Fellowships and are to be submitted as part of the Renewal Application. Progress Reports will determine the Fellow's eligibility, include an accounting of funds expended to date (which will be approved and signed by the Host Sponsor and the Fellow), and include course work and grades to date. Formal transcripts must be sent to the Foundation at the end of each academic year. This progress report will be used to determine the Fellow's eligibility for continued support and is DUE MARCH 1ST.

(2) Host Sponsor Progress Reports: The Host Sponsor must provide the Foundation and the Home Institution/Sponsor with a progress report at the end of each year of the Fellow's training period. The report should address the Fellow's academic performance, progress in language ability (when applicable), and any other matters pertinent to the Fellow's ability to complete the course of training undertaken, as well as a realistic estimate of the time required to complete the training. This progress report will be used to determine the Fellow’s eligibility for continued support and is DUE MARCH 1ST.

Contact:
Grants Officer
The Leakey Foundation
P.O. Box 29346
1002A O'Reilly Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94129-0346
USA

Telephone: (415) 561-4646