Location: Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso.
The MAPS project is conceived to inform policy making and programming on migration and forced displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa by helping addressing knowledge gaps through research. The MAPS Partnership is intended to improve research and awareness on migration and forced displacement in Sub-Saharan Africa by:
a. assessing knowledge gaps in relation to migration and forced displacement situations thanks to the MAPS-Laboratory, that will involve researchers, scholars, experts, and students.
b. developing standards to guide the production of knowledge within the action, through the constitution of a Steering Committee of partners and stakeholders that will meet periodically. The Steering Committee will collectively address programs, research modalities and toolkits of the project. Notably, the Steering Committee will propose a concerted methodology for the identification of current research gaps and will define the survey methodology for both on-line and on-site surveys.
c. Carrying out studies and developing knowledge products on migration and forced displacement situations in ten Sub-Saharan African Countries, notably Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, South Sudan and South Africa. Particular attention will be given to the effect of disaster and climate change on migration and displacement and to specific vulnerable groups such as women, children, minorities and persons with disabilities. Migrations and forced displacement will be analysed with reference to the perceptions of first-line practitioner groups and internal migrants and on four thematic areas:
i. Peace: Conflicts, Borders and border policies, Human rights.
ii. People: Gender, Age, Disabilities and Vulnerabilities.
iii. Planet: Climate change, Disasters, Natural hazard stressors, Resilience.
iv. Prosperity: Education, Employment, Health, Housing, Equality, Socio-spatial Inclusion.
Parteners
UNVIERSITA' DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA "LA SAPIENZA" (Coordinator), Italy
UNIVERSITA' DEGLI STUDI DI BRESCIA, Italy
AMREF INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, Kenya
KABALE UNIVERSITY, Uganda
UNIVERSITY OF DODOMA, Tanzania
UNIVERSITA' DEGLI STUDI DI FERRARA, Italy
UNIVERSITA' DEGLI STUDI DI UDINE, Italy
UNIVERSITA' IUAV Venezia, Italy
UNIVERSITA' MEDITERRANEA DI REGGIO CALABRIA, Italy
UNIVERSITA' DI BARCELLONA, Spain
Associates:
IOM Regional Data Hub for Central and Western Africa
University of the Witwatersrand (WITS)
University of Eswatini
Catholic University of Rwanda
Scientific Committee:
Cristina Giudici - Sapienza University of Rome
Patrizio Bianchi - University of Ferrara
Francesco Castelli - University of Brescia
Stefano Grimaz - University of Udine
Irene Maestro-Yarza - University of Barcelona
Giovanna Marconi - IUAV University of Venice
Lucy Njiru - AMREF International University
Paola Raffa - Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria
Gadde Srinivasa Rao - University of Dodoma
Godfrey Sempungu - Kabala University
Call for Scolarship:
Young researchers from the Sub-Saharan region are invited to apply for research scholarships to engage in the research activities related to migration and forced displacement that will be carried out in the frame of the MAPS project. The call for researchers is launched by the University of Kabale, the University of Dodoma and the Amref International University (AMIU), at the same time, to select researchers to be engaged in the 10 countries where the MAPS research will be carried out. The scholarships are designed to empower young researchers, build capacity, and contribute to the development of high-quality, impactful research on migration dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa. Research outcomes will feed into the development of policy recommendations and evidence-based strategies for better migration management and response. The text of the call has also been drafted in French, with the aim to ensure the widest outreach. However, in case of discrepancies, the English version is the official one. It is to be noted that applications shall be submitted in English only.
KABALE University, UGANDA (for Uganda, South Sudan, Senegal, Guinea): https://www.kab.ac.ug/announcement/maps-project-call-for-research-scholarships-on-migration-and-forced-displacement/
UDOM, University of Dodoma, Tanzania (for Tanzania, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Guinea): https://portal.udom.ac.tz/frontend/web/uploads/documents/doc_1271_8_2025_05_2607_02_32.pdf
AMIU, Amref International University, Kenya (for Kenya, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Guinea): https://amref.ac.ke/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Call-for-Scholarship-MAPS-new.pdf
