UNESCO-TWAS Call for Applications: Seed Grant for New African Principal Investigators

  • UNESCO-TWAS and BMBF

With the support of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), UNESCO-TWAS launched a new programme, the Seed Grant for New African Principal Investigators (SG-NAPI).

The SG-NAPI aims to support early-career scientists in Sub-Saharan Africa, with particular emphasis on Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

Programme Details

  • SG-NAPI Grants are awarded to high-level promising research projects in Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Information Computer Technology, Mathematics, Medical Sciences and Physics,
  • Awarded PIs may also support MSc students as part of the project, request funding for international conference grant, industrial link grant, mobility grant and open access publication grant, 
  • The programme has an additional component which seeks to enhance the productivity of female scientists returning to academia after a maternity leave, scientist-after-child grant. 

Eligibility:

  • Applying Principal Investigators must be nationals of an eligible country, who holds a PhD and has good research experience. The grant should operate within a university or a research institution in one of the African countries lagging in science and technology.
  • The PI must be 40 or under. Any applicant turning 41 in the year of application is not eligible.
  • The PI must have obtained their Ph.D. within the last 5 years in a country other than their home country.
  • The PI must have returned to their home country (refer to list in the guidelines) within the last 36 months or will return home before the end of 2023.
  • The PI must hold, be offered or be in the process of accepting a position at an academic and/or research institution (including international research centers) in their home country.
  • The PI must be national of an eligible African country that is lagging in science and technology (refer to list in the guidelines).
  • Applicant must at the time of application not have an active research grant with TWAS or OWSD Early Career Women Scientists (ECWS) Fellowship.
  • Applications from women scientists and those working in Least Developed Countries are especially encouraged.
  • The applicant must submit a strong Research Proposal
  • Please be advised that applicants may apply for only one programme per calendar year in the TWAS and OWSD portfolio.

Funding details:

  • Research Grants to research units amount to a maximum of USD 67,700,
  • may be used to purchase scientific equipment, consumables, which can include fieldwork partially and maintenance of equipment and specialized literature (textbooks and proceedings only),
  • Does not cover salaries of the Principal Investigator or travel expenses unless they are clearly related to one of the conference and/or mobility components mentioned below. The purchase of fuel, fees for experts or consultants, laptops, tablets, drones and laboratory animals is not supported.
  • Duration of 24 months. 

Read more here

Application deadline April 20, 2023.

  • UNESCO-TWAS and BMBF
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