Call for Applications
The African Centre for Cities invites applications from suitably qualified applicants to apply for this one-year renewable Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. The successful candidate will be part of an interdisciplinary team working on questions of Southern Urbanism, engaged scholarship and pedagogy. Beyond the pursuit of their own postdoctoral research, the successful applicant is expected to contribute to the implementation of the University of Basel’s Masters of Critical Urbanisms track at ACC, as well as to ACC’s Masters in Southern Urbanism, in the form of co-teaching assignments and thesis supervision. As part of ACC’s intellectual and institutional enterprise, the successful applicant will also be expected to share their work in internal and public forums, engage with colleagues in relation to at least one of our areas of existing work and contribute to the mentorship of ACC’s PhD student cohort.
Purpose
This Postdoctoral Research Fellowship is linked to the University of Cape Town and University of Basel (UCT-UniBas) Professorship in Urban Studies at the African Centre for Cities (ACC). The ACC was established in 2007 at the University of Cape Town as an urban research institute. It is based in the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, but is interdisciplinary in its scope, drawing expertise on urban issues from across the university. The mission of the ACC is to “facilitate critical urban research and policy discourses for the promotion of vibrant, democratic and sustainable urban development in the global South”. The successful applicant will report to the UCT-UniBas Professor of Urban Studies.
Conditions of Award (General)
- Applicants are expected to have completed a doctoral degree within the past 5 years in an area of research relevant to this position. Applicants may not previously have held permanent full-time professional or academic posts. The position is subject to the procedures and practices for the postdoctoral sector, at the University of Cape Town.
- The successful incumbent will be required to comply with the University’s approved policies, procedures, and practises for the postdoctoral sector.
- The incumbent will be required to be in Cape Town, South Africa, for the duration of the contract. They will be required to relocate to Cape Town, within six months of their appointment.
Value and Tenure
- The fellowship is valued at R480,000 per annum and is tenable for one year, renewable for a total of up to two and a half years. The fellowship is compliant with the SARS policies/rules and is therefore exempt from taxation. There are no other benefits or allowances included in the value of the fellowship.
- Non-South African citizens may be required to apply for a study visa.
Academic Criteria
The fellowship is only available to individuals who have achieved their doctoral degree within the past 5 years. Applicants may not previously have held permanent full-time professional or academic posts. Applicants should have graduated with the PhD degree in one or more, of the following areas:
- Urban Studies
- Urban Planning or a related built environment discipline
- Urban Geography
Applicants must be actively involved in research in Urban Studies or a related area and have experience and/or interest in Southern Urbanism. The successful applicant must be available to commence with the Fellowship in 2025 after a suitable candidate has been selected.
Application Requirements
Applicants are required to submit the following documents, via email, to Ms Faranaaz Bennett (faranaaz.bennett@uct.ac.za) by no later than 30 August 2025:
- A letter of application stating your expertise, research interests, experience and motivation for this position;
- A CV including a list of publications/scholarly output;
- Copies of academic transcripts;
- Names and contact details of at least two academics who have taught, supervised or worked alongside you.
Please clearly state that this is an application for the “University of Cape Town and University of Basel Postdoctoral Research Fellowship 2022”.
Selection process
- Eligible and complete applications will be considered after 30 August 2025.
Enquiries
- For more information on this position, please contact Professor Nancy Odendaal, the current UCT-UniBas Chair: Nancy.Odendaal@uct.ac.za
Please note that correspondence will only be entered into with shortlisted candidates.
The University of Cape Town reserves the right to disqualify ineligible, incomplete and/or inappropriate applications, to change the conditions of award, and/ or to make no awards at all.