Application deadline: 25 September 2026
The African Astronomical Society (AfAS) is the primary pan-African professional society representing astronomers from across the continent. AfAS aims to create and support a globally competitive and collaborative astronomy community in Africa and to be the voice of astronomy on the continent while contributing to addressing the challenges faced by Africa through the promotion and advancement of astronomy.
The AfAS MSc and PhD Prizes
Established by AfAS Early Career Science Sub-committee (ECSS), the AfAS MSc and PhD Prizes aim to recognize and reward the outstanding accomplishments achieved by academically talented African students who defended their Master’s or PhD thesis in the field of astronomy within the past year. A total of eight prizes (four MSc students and four PhD students) to be shared over four African regions (North, South, East, and West Africa) will be conferred each year, with cash prizes of 400 USD and 800 USD for the MSc and PhD awards, respectively.
Eligibility
To qualify for the award, you should fulfil the following conditions:
- The candidate must be a citizen of an African country.
- Candidates must have conducted their research degree in Astronomy at an academic or scientific research institute in Africa.
- Candidates must have successfully completed their degree (graduated or at least received a notification from their university) within a year of the call which is announced on the 15 June 2026 for the MSc and PhD Prize. Theses which are submitted or in preparation but not yet defended are not eligible.
Application procedure
All applications must be submitted online by uploading the following documents to the AfAS submission form.
Note: If the documents exceed the recommended page limit, your application will not be considered
You are required to submit the following documents in your application pack:
- A detailed CV including a list of scientific publications (maximum 3 pages) and contact details of two academic referees
- A one-page summary of the most important publications, if applicable.
- A thesis summary (maximum 2 pages) including (but not limited to) the research title, the scientific rationale, the most significant findings and conclusions.
- A motivation letter addressed to the AfAS Science Committee explaining why the applicant deserves the prize.
- Copies of official academic records (transcripts).
- A certified copy of the most recent completed degree.
Applicants should also arrange for signed recommendation letters from two academic referees to be sent directly to Dr. Youssef Moulane (youssef.moulane@afasociety.org) by 25 September 2026. At least one letter must be from the thesis advisor who is familiar with the applicant’s research work.
Incomplete applications or files submitted after the deadline, as well as applications which do not meet the conditions of eligibility, will not be taken into consideration.
All supporting documents must be submitted in English. If your documents are in another language, please upload an English translation together with the original documents.
Please note that previous recipients of the AfAS Student Prizes are not eligible to apply.
Selection criteria
- Applications will be reviewed and ranked by the AfAS MSc and PhD Prize Committees based on the following criteria:
- Excellence of the overall academic performance and achievements
- Relevance and originality of the MSc/PhD thesis
- Publication track record commensurate with the applicant’s career stage
- Participation in scientific meetings and research presentations
- Impact of the research work on the advancement of astronomy in Africa.
AfAS reserves the right not to accept any application that does not meet the selection criteria and/or is incomplete.
Estimated Timeline
- Opening date of the call: 15 June 2026
- Closing date of the call: 25 September 2026
- Applications review by the jury: January to February 2027
- Notification of successful applicants at the AfAS Annual Conference to be held in April 2027; Payments to be made by 31 May 2027
Enquiries
AfAS Applications Administration
Chair of the Early Career Science Sub-committee, African Astronomical Society
Youssef Moulane
Email: admin@afasociety.org
For more details on AfAS please visit: www.afasociety.org