About this opportunity
The university in Africa is under discussion again, and CODESRIA is paying scholars to take that discussion seriously. The Council, the pan African social science and humanities organisation based in Dakar, has opened research grants on university ecosystems with funding support from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, and the subject is the four things it says shape the contemporary African university: the evolving landscape of higher education, the gendered dynamics inside academic spaces, the contested terrain of academic freedom, and the conditions that make campus associational life vibrant and inclusive or neither.
The money is real work money. A draft budget between USD 5,000 and USD 15,000 per project, with 15 months of research support, individual proposals welcome, and teams of 3 to 5 members strongly encouraged if they are interdisciplinary, inter institutional or multi country. You must be affiliated with a recognised African higher education or research institution, and scholars in the diaspora can apply alongside a colleague at an African based institution. The Council explicitly encourages women scholars, early career academics and researchers at less well resourced universities.
The two themes are not abstract. Under gender and associational life the call asks for work on the gendered experience of students, faculty and staff, institutional culture and governance read through a gender lens, barriers to women's leadership and academic progression, and gender based violence, safety and wellbeing on campuses, with recent troubling trends named outright, including femicide, criminal gangs on campuses, drug abuse and mental health crises. Under academic freedom it asks how threats actually operate in institutions, at which levels of institutional life they are felt most, and how academic freedom, gender and the civic role of universities intersect.
Twelve sub themes carry priority, among them university governance and autonomy, funding models and their consequences for equity and quality, digital transitions and AI in pedagogy, research ecosystems and epistemic justice, neoliberalism and institutional autonomy, private universities and TVET dynamics, graduate outcomes in a changing labour market, and university community partnerships.
One date closes this. Applications go in electronically through the CODESRIA applications system at https://apply.codesria.org/grants-subventions/, which requires an account, and applications close on 16 January 2027. Late applications will not be considered, so the letter of affiliation from your institution is the thing to request first. Specific questions go to tgf@codesria.org.
What you receive
- A grant budget between USD 5,000 and USD 15,000 for your project
- 15 months of research support from CODESRIA
- Participation in knowledge exchange workshops and peer learning forums
- A route to publish in reputable academic outlets and to feed policy dialogue across the continent
- Weight behind your work as part of a pan African research agenda supported by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation
Who can apply
- You are affiliated with a recognised African higher education or research institution
- African scholars in the diaspora may apply in collaboration with colleagues at an African based institution
- Your proposal addresses higher education, gender, academic freedom or the quality of associational life in African universities
- You submit as an individual researcher or as a collaborative team of 3 to 5 members
- You can commit to the 15 month project structure, including periodic progress reports and a final consolidated output
- Women scholars, early career academics and researchers at less well resourced universities across Africa are explicitly encouraged to apply
Who should not apply
- Applicants with outstanding or pending deliverables from ongoing or previous CODESRIA funded projects are not encouraged to apply
- Proposals without a formal letter of affiliation or endorsement from a recognised higher education or research institution
- Proposals without a draft budget inside the USD 5,000 to USD 15,000 range
- Applications received after 16 January 2027, since late applications will not be considered
Documents to prepare
- A recent CV for the principal investigator covering qualifications, research experience and publications, plus CVs for all team members on a collaborative proposal
- A proposal synopsis of no more than 4,000 words
- A well defined research question or problem statement inside that synopsis
- Evidence of familiarity with recent literature and discourse in your subject area
- A conceptual or theoretical framework, plus a concise research methodology and work plan with timelines
- A draft budget between USD 5,000 and USD 15,000, and a list of proposed scholarly and non scholarly outputs
- A formal letter of affiliation or endorsement from a recognised higher education or research institution
How to apply
- Read the full call on the CODESRIA page, https://codesria.org/call-for-proposals-research-grants-on-university-ecosystems/, and choose your theme: gender and university associational life, or academic and intellectual freedom.
- Draft a synopsis of no more than 4,000 words that carries your research question, your reading of the recent literature, your conceptual framework, your methodology and work plan with timelines, your draft budget and your proposed outputs.
- Request a formal letter of affiliation or endorsement from your recognised African higher education or research institution.
- Create an account on the CODESRIA applications system at https://apply.codesria.org/grants-subventions/, since submissions are electronic through that portal.
- Upload your CVs, synopsis, draft budget between USD 5,000 and USD 15,000 and affiliation letter, then submit before 16 January 2027.
- Email tgf@codesria.org with specific questions about the call.
Selection process
- Proposals are assessed against the two thematic priorities: gender and associational life in African universities, and academic and intellectual freedom
- Studies that engage theoretical and conceptual debates, shifting methodological approaches, case study empirical research, and policy analysis for institutional change are prioritised
- Twelve sub themes carry explicit priority, including university governance and autonomy, funding models and equity, digital transitions and AI, research ecosystems and epistemic justice, gender and minority inclusion, private universities and TVET dynamics, graduate outcomes and university community partnerships
- Selected researchers receive 15 months of support and are expected to produce at least one publishable manuscript, a journal article, policy brief or equivalent
- Grantees submit periodic progress reports and a final consolidated output, and contribute to public dialogue and policy engagement
Sources and verification
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Questions applicants ask
Do I need to work at a Nigerian university to apply?
You need affiliation with a recognised African higher education or research institution. African scholars in the diaspora are encouraged to apply in collaboration with colleagues at an African based institution.
Can I apply alone or must I lead a team?
Both are eligible. Individual proposals and collaborative proposals qualify, and a collaborative team should have 3 to 5 members. Interdisciplinary, inter institutional and multi country teams are strongly encouraged.
How long is the funding for?
Selected fellows receive support for 15 months, during which they conduct original research, take part in knowledge exchange workshops and peer learning forums, produce at least one publishable manuscript, contribute to public dialogue, and submit periodic progress reports and a final consolidated output.
What does the budget have to be?
Your draft budget should range from USD 5,000 to USD 15,000. The call asks for that range to be built into the proposal synopsis.
Is there an application fee?
No. You submit electronically through the CODESRIA applications system, which asks you to create an account first.
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