AI, Ethics and Climate Governance Fellowship 2026

Approximately 25 fellows are expected to participate in the cohort. The programme is delivered fully online, allowing participants from different African countries to take part without relocating. Sessions and learning activities are structured around the progression from understanding emerging technologies and their climate applications to examining their ethical implications and considering appropriate governance responses.

By the end of the programme, participants are expected to have developed a stronger interdisciplinary understanding of AI and emerging climate technologies, their potential implications for African societies, and the policy mechanisms that may be needed to guide their responsible use. They also gain practical experience working collaboratively on a governance problem and developing a policy-oriented written output.

What Fellows Will Explore

1. AI and Climate Applications

• Artificial intelligence in climate modelling
• AI applications in energy systems
• Climate and disaster early-warning systems
• Carbon accounting and climate-related data

2. Emerging Climate Technologies

• Carbon dioxide removal
• Solar radiation modification
• Other frontier climate technologies
• Potential benefits, uncertainties and risks

3. Ethics and Responsible Innovation

• Risk and responsibility
• Fairness and distribution of benefits and risks
• Representation and participation
• Accountability in technological decision-making

4. Governance and Policy

• Laws, regulations and standards
• Institutional responsibilities
• Governance frameworks for emerging technologies
• Public participation and decision-making
• African perspectives in global technology and climate governance

Eligibility

The fellowship is intended for early-career Africans with an academic, professional or research interest related to climate, technology, ethics or governance.

Potential applicants may include:

• Graduate students and researchers
• Early-career policy professionals
• Climate and environmental professionals
• Technology and computing professionals
• Development practitioners
• Civil society professionals
• Legal and economics professionals
• Public policy and social science researchers
• Journalists, advocates and communicators working on related issues

A previous technical background in artificial intelligence is not required. Applicants should instead demonstrate a genuine interest in the relationship between emerging technologies, climate issues and governance, together with the ability to contribute meaningfully to an interdisciplinary cohort.

Fellowship Project

Participants will work in small groups to develop a governance policy brief addressing a real challenge involving AI or emerging climate technologies.

The project may focus on a particular African country, sector or policy problem and is intended to help fellows examine practical questions around regulation, risk, responsibility, participation and public interest. Participants receive opportunities for discussion, peer review and feedback as they develop their work.

What the Fellowship Provides

• Fully funded participation
• Eight weeks of online fellowship activities
• A cohort of approximately 25 early-career African participants
• Interdisciplinary learning on AI, climate technologies, ethics and governance
• Collaborative work with other participants
• Peer review and feedback
• Practical experience developing a governance policy brief
• No requirement for previous technical AI training

Important Information

This is a professional and research-oriented fellowship, not a university degree programme. Participation does not lead to a master's or PhD qualification.

The programme is fully online, and the official programme information does not state that fellows receive a separate cash stipend. Applicants should therefore not interpret "fully funded" as a guaranteed monetary award.