Apply

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Eligibility

Participation is open to PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and untenured faculty within five years of their PhD. Master’s students at an advanced phase of their studies are also encouraged to apply. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, fields of study, and countries within Africa. We strongly encourage women and other minority groups to apply. There are no restrictions based on citizenship, country of study, or employment, but we will prioritise applicants from African countries. There is no registration fee for participating in SICSS-WitsStAndrews, and participants will be expected to cover their travel and associated costs. The language of instruction will be English. About 20 participants will be invited, and participants are expected to fully attend, participate, and engage in the entire program.

Participants with less experience with social science research will be expected to complete additional readings in advance of the Institute. Participants with less coding experience will be expected to complete a set of online learning modules on the R programming language. Students requiring this preparatory work will be supported by a teaching assistant who will hold online office hours two months before the Institute.

Applications will be evaluated based on:

Applicant’s professional and research experience. Preference will be given to postgraduate students and researchers/academics within five years of their PhD. Applicant’s experience with coding or the potential to be proficient before the summer institute. Motivation and ambition to make a personal contribution to computational social science. Potential to fully participate and engage in the entire program.

How To Apply

Applicants must submit the following documents:

• A curriculum vitae (max 4 pages).
• A motivation letter (max three pages) describing why you wish to attend SICSS-WitsStAndrews, your current research interests, and a brief description of your planned project with clear objectives and potential data sources. To ensure full consideration, all application materials must be submitted online via https://forms.gle/P3uCcjLhtfAPtGPd7 by 10 April 2026. Successful applicants will be notified by 01 May 2026.

Inquiries can be sent to pedzisai.ndagurwa@wits.ac.za and eoo1@st-andrews.ac.uk

Application Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply to more than one Summer Institute location?

Yes, but not at the same time. For example, you can apply to SICSS-WITS-StAndrews, and then if you are not accepted you can apply to one of the other locations if it has a later deadline. However, you cannot have an applications under review at two locations simultaneously.

Can I participate in SICSS-WITS-StAndrews if I have already participated in SICSS at another location?

Unfortunately, no. Every year, we have more applicants than we can accept, and we would like everyone to have a chance to participate in SICSS once before we allow folks to participate twice.