A major international postdoctoral research fellowship opportunity has been announced through a large-scale collaborative project between the University of Strathclyde and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. The fellowship is part of a prestigious research initiative funded by a €9.9 million European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant running from 2026 to 2032. The project brings together leading researchers and institutions from the United Kingdom and Ghana, alongside major research partners such as Afrobarometer, the Jean Golding Institute (University of Bristol), and the Bristol Digital Futures Institute. The collaboration is designed to deepen understanding of political parties and democratic development across Africa. Research Focus: Democracy and Political Parties in Africa The central concern of the project is the ongoing decline of democracy across many African countries. Drawing on reports from global democracy monitoring organizations such as Freedom House and the V-Dem Institute, the research highlights a sustained weakening of political freedoms and democratic institutions over the past decade. A key argument underpinning the project is that political parties play a complex and sometimes contradictory role in this process. While some parties are seen as contributing to democratic erosion through clientelism and weak organizational structures, others may actively support democratic strengthening and institutional accountability. This fellowship seeks to systematically investigate these contrasting roles through one of the most comprehensive empirical studies of political parties ever conducted globally. Core Research Questions The project is structured around three central research questions: What role do political parties play in democratization processes in Africa? Under what conditions do political parties strengthen or weaken democratic systems? How can political parties be supported to help reverse democratic decline in African states? These questions aim to provide both theoretical and practical insights into how party systems shape governance outcomes across different political contexts. Key Areas of Investigation To address these research questions, the project focuses on four main functions of political parties: 1. Preference Aggregation and Policy Development Political parties are examined as mechanisms for aggregating citizen preferences, identifying shared values, and developing policy platforms. This function is essential for ensuring meaningful electoral competition and informed voter choice. 2. Citizen Mobilization The research explores how parties mobilize citizens during elections and between election cycles. This includes voter engagement, political participation, and collective action, all of which contribute to democratic legitimacy and civic inclusion. 3. Information Transmission Political parties are studied as communication channels between citizens and elected officials. By transmitting voter preferences to policymakers and informing citizens about government actions, parties enhance political accountability and representation. 4. Accountability and Oversight The project also examines how parties, including opposition groups, monitor government performance, critique policy decisions, and present alternative governance options. This function is critical for maintaining democratic checks and balances. Methodology and Data Collection A defining feature of the project is its large-scale, multi-level data collection strategy. Researchers will gather and analyze data from: National party headquarters Regional and local party branches Individual citizens across multiple countries This approach enables triangulation of findings across different political levels, offering a more detailed and reliable understanding of party behavior. The resulting dataset referred to as the PPADEM dataset is expected to be one of the most comprehensive resources ever assembled on political parties in Africa. It will allow researchers to rigorously test theories about how political parties function in practice compared to how they are expected to function in democratic theory. Institutions and Collaboration Network The fellowship is embedded within a broad international research consortium that includes: University of Strathclyde (United Kingdom) Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology – KNUST (Ghana) University of Bristol (United Kingdom) University of Reading (United Kingdom) Afrobarometer (pan-African research network) Jean Golding Institute (University of Bristol) Bristol Digital Futures Institute This wide partnership ensures strong academic collaboration across political science, data science, and development studies. Funding and Duration The research program is funded through an ERC Synergy Grant worth €9.9 million, one of the European Union’s most competitive and prestigious funding schemes. The project will run for six years (2026–2032), offering long-term research stability and substantial resources for postdoctoral researchers involved in the fellowship. Application Details Two separate postdoctoral positions are available under this initiative: One based at the University of Strathclyde One based at KNUST (Ghana) Applicants are encouraged to apply through the official application portals provided by each institution: Strathclyde position: https://bit.ly/4tSqy8a KNUST position: https://bit.ly/3QMXAbd Each position is part of the same overarching research project but may involve different institutional responsibilities and geographic focus areas. Call for Action The Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Strathclyde and KNUST represents a significant opportunity for early-career researchers specializing in political science, development studies, or African governance. With substantial ERC funding, high-level international collaboration, and access to unprecedented datasets on African political parties, the program is positioned to make a major contribution to global understanding of democracy and institutional development. For researchers interested in the dynamics of democratization in Africa, this fellowship offers both academic depth and real-world policy relevance within one of the largest research efforts ever undertaken on political parties worldwide. APPLY HERE For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and WPChannel Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.