Code for Africa (CfA) 2025 African Digital Democracy Observatory (ADDO) Institutional Fellowships

Code for Africa (CfA) is offering eight African Digital Democracy Observatory (ADDO) Institutional Fellowships to strengthen the investigative skills of research and media institutions in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. The programme aims to equip researchers and journalists at these organisations with open-source intelligence (OSINT) and social media intelligence (SOCMINT) forensic analysis skills to produce evidence-driven evaluation of information manipulation and interference (IMI) and coordinated inauthentic behaviour (CIB), and to support access to credible information.

• Table of Content
• About Code for Africa (CfA)
• African Digital Democracy Observatory (ADDO) Institutional Fellowships
• Aim and Benefits of African Digital Democracy Observatory (ADDO) Institutional Fellowships
• Requirements for African Digital Democracy Observatory (ADDO) Institutional Fellowships Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for African Digital Democracy Observatory (ADDO) Institutional Fellowships
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About Code for Africa (CfA)

Code for Africa (CfA) is the continent’s largest network of digital democracy laboratories, with over 90 full-time data scientists, forensic researchers, technologists and digital storytellers working in support of investigative media and watchdog CSO partners in 21 African countries. CfA builds digital solutions that provide actionable information to citizens to encourage informed decisions, while also amplifying voices to strengthen civic engagement for improved public governance and evidence-driven accountability.  ... continue reading

African Digital Democracy Observatory (ADDO) Institutional Fellowships

Application Deadline	15 May 2025
Type	Fellowship
Sponsor	Code for Africa (CfA)
Gender	Men and Women

Aim and Benefits of African Digital Democracy Observatory (ADDO) Institutional Fellowships

1. Equip investigative media organisations, research institutes, think tanks, and watchdog civil society organisations with open-source intelligence (OSINT) skills and tools to turbocharge their investigations into information manipulation.
2. Support the selected organisations in establishing in-house teams that produce regular analyses tracking information integrity in their countries.
3. Help the participating organisations reach larger audiences and build deeper engagement with the public for data-driven discussions on key issues.
4. Build a strong pan-African network of OSINT investigators who can collaborate on transnational investigations with peers worldwide to unmask influence operations and information manipulation.

Requirements for African Digital Democracy Observatory (ADDO) Institutional Fellowships Qualification

1. The organisations must be registered in Côte d’Ivoire or Senegal.
2. The organisations must have a minimum of one year of experience, with a strong preference for expertise in analytical research or data journalism.
3. The organisations must provide evidence of reports they have produced and published, with the most recent publication being no older than two months.
4. The organisations must commit to timely and open communication from the management and assigned journalists.
5. The organisations must commit to publishing/disseminating their work on an appropriate public platform. CfA will assist with partnerships/syndications where appropriate.
6. The organisations must commit to agreed-upon online training and mentorship sessions.
7. The assigned journalists must be fluent in either of the languages of tuition and mentorship: English or French.

Interview date, Process and Venue for African Digital Democracy Observatory (ADDO) Institutional Fellowships

The fellowship programme

The fellowship, which will run for six months, aims to enhance information integrity in the target countries by tackling hate speech, misinformation, and propaganda, while strengthening local media and civil society resilience. Participants will gain access to digital forensic tools, resources, and expertise to counter information manipulation.

The programme will consist of:

1. Grants: Organisations will receive a modest grant to cover eligible activities and costs.
2. Training and mentorship: CfA will offer hands-on technical training, followed by one-on-one project mentorship with support from CfA’s data technologists, editors, and forensic investigators.
3. Publishing investigative content packages: As a result of the training and mentorship, organisations will publish content packages including but not limited to articles, podcasts, videos, and reports on hate speech, misinformation, and propaganda issues in their platforms. 

Application Deadline

May 15, 2025

How to Apply

For more details, visit CfA Fellowship webpage