CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Research Fellow
Summer 2026

Applications close Friday, 29 May 2026

Read the requirements below and submit your application to:

dialogues@bridgforte.org

Download information

THE OPPORTUNITY

Africa’s financial systems are being reshaped by digital infrastructure, new market entrants, and increasingly complex interactions between regulators, incumbents, platforms, and consumers. Questions of coordination, reliability, and user confidence are now central to whether these systems earn and sustain public trust.

The Bridgforte Centre for Global Impact engages senior decision-makers across policy and industry to strengthen the policy foundations of financial sector development in Africa, with a focus on the architecture of trust in financial systems and the governance of platform-led finance.

The Centre invites applications for a Summer Research Fellow to contribute to this programme. The Fellow will take a scoped area of inquiry within financial sector development, governance, and inclusion in Africa, and develop it into a rigorous, evidence-based insight. This is a single-position fellowship, intended for an individual able to engage seriously with real-world financial system contexts.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Conduct focused research within a defined area of financial sector development, inclusion, and governance.
  • Produce one or more insight briefs that are clear, structured, and analytically sound.
  • Undertake comparative analysis across jurisdictions, institutions, or system designs where relevant.
  • Prepare structured briefing inputs ahead of selected Bridgforte convenings, including the Trust Lab.
  • Synthesise discussions into concise, structured insights.
  • Work closely with the Founder to refine arguments, strengthen analysis, and improve clarity of expression.

FELLOWSHIP STRUCTURE

DURATION:   15 June – 30 August 2026. (For the right candidate, there may be opportunities for continued engagement beyond the fellowship.)

FORMAT:   Remote, with participation in selected convenings.

TIME COMMITMENT:   Approximately 20 hours per week.

COMPENSATION:   A monthly stipend of USD $1,500.

ELIGIBILITY

This fellowship is intended for advanced master’s students, doctoral candidates, and early-career researchers whose academic or applied work engages substantively with financial systems, financial inclusion, or related policy domains.

Applicants should have a foundation in one or more of the following areas:

  • Financial policy or regulation.
  • Financial services, including banking, payments, fintech, or related sectors.
  • Financial inclusion or development finance.
  • Public policy, law, or institutions relevant to financial systems.

In addition, applicants should be able to:

  • Think clearly and write with precision.
  • Work independently and manage a defined line of inquiry.
  • Engage with complex issues without oversimplification.
  • Translate research into structured, usable insight.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate the analytical maturity to engage seriously with real-world financial system contexts from the outset of the fellowship.  

HOW TO APPLY

Applications should be submitted as a single PDF to dialogues@bridgforte.org, titled “Summer 2026 Research Fellow Application” and comprising the following:

  • Curriculum vitae (maximum three pages).
  • Statement of interest (maximum 600 words), including:
    • motivation for applying;
    • a brief account of relevant experience; and
    • a short analytical response (300 to 400 words) discussing a current issue or challenge in financial services, financial inclusion, or financial system design.
  • One writing sample demonstrating analytical or policy-oriented work.

TIMELINE

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  Friday, 29 May 2026

INTERVIEWS:   Shortlisted candidates will be contacted during the week of 1 June 2026.

ABOUT BRIDGFORTE CENTRE FOR GLOBAL IMPACT

The Bridgforte Centre for Global Impact is a policy research and convening institution focused on the structural foundations of financial governance and inclusion in Africa.

Through the Bridgforte Dialogues and the Trust Lab, the Centre engages policymakers, regulators, and industry participants to explore system-level challenges and develop more coherent and resilient approaches to financial sector development.

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