Is your goal to become an internationally recognised archaeologist and cultural heritage scholar? Could your ideas help reshape world archaeology? Do you want to see your research published in reputable international journals? Are you committed to sharing the results of your research with the public? We warmly invite applications from early career researchers (ECRs) from Africa to participate in the Rewriting World Archaeology: Africa Writing Workshop and mentoring programme 2023-25.
This programme is designed to equip a cohort of ECRs with the necessary knowledge and skills: to access and publish in reputable, international, peer-reviewed academic journals, to develop and lead bold research agendas, and to share their results with the public. It is intended that the programme will significantly advance the careers of these ECRs, strengthen their ability to rewrite the archaeology and cultural heritage of Africa, and to use this heritage to help forge a more equitable world archaeology.
The programme will consist of online workshops and individual mentoring sessions, supported by a variety of digital resources, and an in-person workshop hosted at the British Institute in East Africa (BIEA) in Nairobi, Kenya.
We define ECR broadly. As well as participants at PhD and post-doctoral level and those in new academic roles (up to five years from PhD), we welcome applications from early career professionals working in heritage organisations (up to five years from appointment). Eight ECRs from a variety of countries and academic/professional backgrounds will be selected from applications.
Each selected ECR will be assigned two mentors. These groups will develop personal research plans and provide specialist support for the drafting of an article for submission to a reputable international journal. In addition, the ECRs will participate in regular online workshops with contributions from editors and regional specialists to provide general guidance in the preparation of research for publication (including themes such as peer review and research dissemination).
ECRs will submit full drafts of manuscripts in advance of an in-person workshop, to be held at the BIEA in Nairobi, where all the participants will convene for a group presentations and personalised feedback on draft manuscripts. Following the BIEA workshop, ECRs will revise their manuscripts and submit them to appropriate international archaeology and heritage journals.
We will communicate in the English language, with an emphasis on building confidence and skills to speak and write in English to enable greater access to international publishing and funding.
In applying for the programme, participants are expected to be willing and able to commit to the various meetings, workshops and deadlines and to engage fully with the programme of mentoring and activities.
We are grateful to the British Academy for the funding to support this initiative.
For further information about Rewriting World Archaeology: Africa, including its mission and mentoring team, please see the accompanying "About the Programme" document.
To apply for a place on the programme, ECR applicants should first read "About the Programme" and "Application Form Guidance" documents, then complete the online application form and send a copy of their 2-page CV via email to media@antiquity.ac.uk
Rewriting World Archaeology: Africa - About the Programme
Rewriting World Archaeology: Africa - Application Form Guidance
Heritage Partnerships Research Group
British Academy
Image Above: Global inequalities in publishing: cartogram representing territory size proportional to the number of scientific and technical journal articles published in 2016. Source: World Mapper. License.
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