The African Climate Change Fellowship Program (ACCFP) supports African professionals, researchers, educators and graduate students to undertake activities that enhance their capacities for advancing and applying knowledge for climate change adaptation in Africa. Participating Fellows receive small grants that enable them to visit other institutions – “Host Institutions” – where they collaborate with mentors to implement individually-designed projects that, for example, assess and prioritize climate risks, investigate current practices for designing and implementing adaptation projects, consider approaches for integrating adaptation with planning and practice and/or develop and implement curriculum that promotes integration of climate change and climate change adaptation into graduate level education. ACCFP Fellows also participate in periodic program workshops and seminars that offer opportunities for them to interact face-to-face with each other and program staff and challenge them to step “outside the box” in considering the role and potential contributions of their individual work within broader efforts to address climate change adaptation challenges in Africa.
During Round 1 of the program (2009/2010), ACCFP Fellowships were awarded to 45 individuals from 40 institutions in 18 African countries.Many Fellowship projects directly supported adaptation decision-making. ACCFP Fellows – now alumni – have gone on to excel in institutions across the continent and are the inaugural members of a cadre of African climate change professionals ready and willing to promote adaptation policy and actions.
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