CODESRIA Call for Proposals: 2026 AFRIAK CALL

The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for the second cohort of the African Fellowships for Research in Indigenous and Alternative Knowledges (AFRIAK). This programme is offered with the support of the Mastercard Foundation as part of the Foundation’s commitment to advance education and skills for young people in Africa

Programme Activities:

The AFRIAK research and fellowship project will involve three related activities. These are:

  1. A research, training and mentorship fellowship programme for young people.
  2. Policy convenings.
  3. An alumni and community of practice in Indigenous and alternative knowledge network.

Research Areas:

Proposals submitted under this call should revolve around the following themes:

  1. IK and methods of knowing.
  2. Indigenous medical science and practices.
  3. IK and the creative sector
  4. IK and systems of entrepreneurship.
  5. Agriculture and agri-foods systems.
  6. Mobilizing digital systems for IK in Africa.
  7. Indigenous pedagogies and curriculum development.
  8. IK in social capital development.
  9. Indigenous technologies and sustainable development
  10. IK, climate change, and ecological sustainability.
  11. IK heritage in nutrition.
  12. Indigenous languages and science.
  13. IK, religion and spirituality science.
  14. IK, governance systems and state-building.

Target for this Call:

  • This call targets young African nationals aged 35 and below at the time of application and who reside on the African continent.
  • The targeted youth should be engaged in research and knowledge production activities that draw, or aspire to draw, on Indigenous/local knowledge perspectives.
  • They should be based in formal research and knowledge institutions or Indigenous knowledge research centres in Africa.
  • Practitioners aged 35 and below, with formal education qualifications and who are actively engaged in activities that draw on the application of Indigenous/local knowledge perspectives, are also encouraged to apply.

Read more here.

Application deadline, 15th of February 2026 at 23:59 GMT.

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