Call for Application Readers for the 2027 Mandela Washington Fellowship (Honorarium available)
IREX is seeking academic, professional, and regional experts to serve as application readers for the 2027 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. Eligible readers may receive a one-time $100 honorarium.
Overview
IREX is inviting academic, professional, and regional experts to apply as application readers for the 2027 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The Fellowship serves as the flagship exchange program under the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), bringing up to 550 young African leaders to the United States for an executive-style program focused on leadership, professional networking, and academic coursework. Selected application readers will review and score candidate submissions using a structured rubric, supporting a merit-based selection process.
Eligibility
- Well-suited for academics, professionals, and regional experts.
- Desirable expertise includes business and trade, emerging technologies, or governance and security.
- Experience working in Africa or on sub-Saharan African issues is relevant, though not strictly required.
- Readers opting for the $100 honorarium must possess a U.S. bank account capable of receiving ACH or direct deposit transfers, and submit a W-9 form.
- U.S. Government employees and contractors are ineligible for the honorarium payment.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should complete the online application form before the closing date. For any inquiries regarding the reader role, applicants can reach out via email to [email protected].
Deadline
The final deadline to submit the reader application is October 13, 2026. The reading period will take place from mid-October 2026 through mid-November 2026.