The Fellowship Program 2021 of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) is now accepting applications. The ACU Fellowships allow long-distance collaboration and the formation of valuable new collaborations between member universities in various countries.
In 2021, they will have a range of fellowships available for ACU member university workers in a variety of fields, ranging from climate action to engineering. This funding is strictly for virtual collaboration; it would not cover the costs of physical travel.
Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Fellowships
- Accountancy Fellowship (Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales)
- Agriculture, Forestry & Food Science Fellowship (George Weston Limited)
- Canada Fellowships – Two fellowships are available. The Canada Fellowship (Gordon and Jean Southam) is for application by a Canadian member to partner with an institution outside Canada. The second Canada fellowship will be awarded to a member outside Canada to partner with a Canadian institution.
- Engineering (Wighton) Fellowship – This fellowship is only open to applicants from low and middle-income countries.
- Hong Kong Jockey Club Fellowships – Two fellowships are available. One will be awarded to a staff member from a Hong Kong member institution applying to work with a partner overseas, and the other to a staff member from an institution outside Hong Kong applying to work with a partner in Hong Kong.
- Information Technology and Computer Science Fellowship (Jacky McAleer Memorial)
- Swansea Fulton Climate Action Fellowships – Two fellowships are available. They are open to application by staff of ACU member universities outside the UK to partner with a researcher at Swansea University. The fellowships will be awarded for research which aims to improve understanding of the effects of climate change and develop solutions to mitigate its impact on our planet and society
Fellowships in the following fields are available that do not have a particular topic attached:
- Education
- Health and related social sciences
- Information technology and management
- STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects
- Sustainable development
- University development and management
Who Can Apply for ACU Fellowship Program
- The fellowships are primarily intended for the academic and professional staff of ACU member universities.
- In some circumstances, they can be used for collaboration between universities and the private sector.
Value of ACU Fellowship Program
- The maximum value of each fellowship is GBP $5,000.
How to Apply for Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Fellowship Program
Applicants must first identify and approach a collaborator at an ACU member university in a country other than the one where the applicant is employed.
As part of the application form, applicants must:
- Summarise the work they plan to carry out during the fellowship, and how the collaboration will benefit the project. Explain why they have chosen to collaborate with their particular partner institution for the project rather than any other.
- Describe the likely impact of the fellowship work.
- Explain how they expect the fellowship to benefit their own professional development.
- List the planned outputs of the fellowship.
- Submit a time plan of the work, which must cover a minimum of six months between September 2021 and August 2022.
- List the costs associated with the fellowship. These can include staff time, consumables, internet access and data, equipment, research data management, impact and engagement and open access.
- Submit a letter or email of support from their head of department at their home institution.
- Submit a letter or email of support from the collaborator at their partner institution.