Opportunity Title: Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science African Faculty Fellows Program 2027

If you are an African university faculty member or researcher who has spent years thinking about how artificial intelligence could transform your field — agriculture, climate science, public health, engineering, or any other discipline where data-driven approaches could unlock new understanding — this fellowship exists for you.

The Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science African Faculty Fellows programme supports researchers who apply AI methodologies to address significant research questions in science and engineering. The program accepts African researchers at the level of university faculty or equivalent roles in other African organisations. They join the programme for two years: in residence at the University of Michigan for a total of 12 months to develop AI-enabled research in science and engineering; and a total of 12 months in Africa to carry out research and/or training activities to enable AI in Science, with support from the programme.

The Phase 1 application deadline for the 2027 cohort is 5 October 2026. This is the most significant AI research fellowship currently available to African faculty, and it is accepting applications right now.

What the Fellowship Provides

A full year at the University of Michigan — one of the world's leading research universities — embedded within the Michigan Institute for Data and AI in Society. During this year, you will develop AI-enabled research projects alongside leading faculty, interdisciplinary research teams, and the broader University of Michigan academic community. You will gain access to computing infrastructure, datasets, research collaborators, and methodological expertise that most African universities cannot yet provide at this scale.

The second year is spent in Africa, implementing your research, training others in your institution and broader network, and building the kind of AI in Science capacity that sustains itself after the fellowship ends. Travel to annual Schmidt Sciences events will also be covered. In addition, there may be minor supplemental funding available for fellows to attend AI training workshops, short courses, and professional conferences. Africaeuropeinnovation

Who Is Eligible

The candidate must have a PhD that was conferred before the fellowship start date of August or September 2027, and received after September 1, 2022. The candidate's PhD can be in any field — the science and engineering domains listed as in-scope apply to the area of proposed work, not to the discipline of your PhD. University faculty members based in Africa and researchers holding equivalent positions within African organisations are eligible. Applications must be submitted through the official online application portal. 

Why This Fellowship Matters for Africa's AI Future

At GITEX Nigeria 2026, NITDA Director General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi argued that AI sovereignty must cover the full technology chain — from internet connectivity and computing capacity to data centres, cloud infrastructure, data governance, and AI models. Building that sovereignty requires African researchers who can do frontier AI work, not just consume tools built elsewhere. The Schmidt fellowship is one of the few programmes in the world that explicitly invests in building that research capacity on the continent. Fellows do not just attend. They return with the skills, networks, and institutional backing to build something lasting at home. 

Apply directly here: https://midas.umich.edu/training/postdoctoral-programs/african-faculty-fellowship/apply/

Bankable Wisdom Tip: The Phase 1 application asks you to articulate your proposed research clearly and concisely. The reviewers are not looking for the most ambitious proposal — they are looking for the most specific and feasible one. Describe a concrete scientific question your proposed AI methodology will address, explain why existing approaches have not solved it, and show that you have the background to execute the work. Specificity beats scope every time in competitive research fellowship applications.