AIMS-ISHANGO Data Science & AI Fellowship Program

Program Background

The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and Ishango partnered to implement a Data Science & AI Fellowship Program. This collaborative initiative aims to boost African data science graduates’ employment prospects through a fully funded three-month fellowship program. Selected through a competitive application process, promising AIMS alumni, hereafter refer to as “Fellows” will be up-skilled with technical and soft skills to prepare them for the job market.

Information for Applicants

The emphasis of the fellowship program is placed on practical learning during the projects. Hosted at AIMS Rwanda in Kigali, Fellows will also get real-world experience working remotely on value-adding projects for international organizations. Specific objectives of the fellowship program include:

1. Gain experience working on projects for leading international companies

2. Provide dedicated support from an experienced Data Scientist in Residence

3. Get an opportunity to present your project outputs to a global audience and boost your employment prospects

4. Develop practical skills in data science through weekly sessions delivered by highly experienced mentors from around the world.

5. Connect, co-work and learn with talented peers from across Africa during the residential at AIMS Rwanda in Kigali.

The program is fully funded and there are no fees required to participate. Successful candidates will receive a monthly stipend to cover their cost of living in Kigali, Rwanda including accommodation and meals for the 8-week residential period. Fellows will be provided laptops, which they will return to AIMS Rwanda at the end of the fellowship program.

Application Selection Process

AIMS alumni interested in applying for this Data Science and AI Fellowship Program should use their AIMS email address and click the link provided below to complete and submit their application with all supporting documents by the deadline indicated below. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further steps of the selection process.

Eligibility:

This program is restricted to AIMS alumni who have graduated in the last 3 years. Although the pilot phase for this fellowship program will take place in Kigali, Rwanda, we encourage applications for all AIMS alumni who are not based in Rwanda. The fellowship program has indeed secured funding to cover all costs related to the mobility of outstanding candidates who will need to travel to Kigali, Rwanda.

Application submission: Applications for this program should be submitted via the online application system, providing all required documents. Applications will be reviewed by a committee with members from both Ishango and the institution that submitted the project.

Duration: 3 months (June to August 2021).

Deadline: Friday 30th April 7 pm CAT.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the deadline, so apply now to secure your place.

Successful applicants will be contacted within weeks of the deadline. Please consider your application unsuccessful if you don’t hear from the program team within 3 weeks of the deadline.

All inquiries should be sent to: aii@nexteinstein.org.