Science opportunities

Find verified grants, fellowships, accelerators and support for African founders working in Science.

8 open opportunities

OpportunityOpen

UNESCO

UNESCO International Decade of Sciences: Fourth Call for Initiatives

UNESCO has opened the fourth global call for initiatives under the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development, which runs from 2024 to 2033. It invites the global scientific community and partners across every sector to submit proposals that turn research into action, and submissions are open until 15 November 2026. African institutions, researchers and cross-sector partners are expressly welcome.

Eligibility: Open worldwide with no country restriction, and African institutions, researchers and partners are expressly welcome under the Decade's Priority Africa focus.

Deadline: November 15, 2026
Location: Africa
Funding or benefit: Funding varies

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FellowshipOpen

The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)

TWAS Research Professors in Least Developed Countries Programme 2026/2027

TWAS is inviting requests from research groups and scientific institutions in least developed countries, including many across Africa, to host a TWAS Research Professor for a two to four week visit during a one year appointment. Applications close 23 November 2026.

Eligibility: Requesting institution must be a research group or scientific institution located in a least developed country (LDC)

Deadline: November 23, 2026
Location: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi
Funding or benefit: TWAS covers economy class round-trip travel, additional travel expenses and an honorarium for the visiting professor. The host institution covers local expenses.

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Asian Development Bank Japan Scholarship Program, University of Tokyo GSFS opportunity

ScholarshipOpen

Asian Development Bank Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP), administered by the Asian Development Bank

Asian Development Bank Japan Scholarship Program, University of Tokyo GSFS

Fully funded master's scholarships for nationals of ADB borrowing member countries to study at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo. The application deadline is 10 December 2026.

Eligibility: Open to nationals of an ADB borrowing member country who have gained admission to an approved master's course at a designated institution

Deadline: December 10, 2026
Location: Africa
Funding or benefit: The ADB programme page states "The ADB–Japan Scholarship Program covers full tuition fees, subsistence (including housing allowance), book allowance, medical insurance, travel, and research subsidies", and the University of Tokyo page adds that "The ADB-JSP scholarship covers the scholar only".

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FellowshipOpen

Branco Weiss Fellowship, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich

Branco Weiss Fellowship 2027 intake

Interdisciplinary postdoctoral fellowship of max. CHF 600,000 for up to five years for researchers who obtained their PhD no more than five years earlier, final deadline 15 January 2027 at 5 p.m. CET.

Eligibility: You officially hold a PhD on January 15, 2027, meaning you have at least successfully passed your PhD defense before that date

Deadline: January 15, 2027
Location: Africa
Funding or benefit: A Branco Weiss Fellowship amounts to max. CHF 600,000 for up to five years, covering all legitimate research costs including salary, equipment, travel and personnel.

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A woman researcher looking through a microscope, used on the Swedish Institute scholarship page.

ScholarshipOpen

Swedish Institute (Svenska institutet)

SI Pioneering Women in STEM Scholarship 2027

A fully funded Swedish Institute scholarship for female citizens of ten Africa and Asia countries, including Nigeria, to take a one or two year English-taught master’s programme in STEM at a Swedish university starting autumn 2027. Swedish Institute pays your full tuition, gives SEK 12,000 every month for living costs and a one-time SEK 15,000 travel grant. One important thing first: you cannot apply to this scholarship directly. You must submit your master’s programme application through University Admissions between 16 October 2026 and 15 January 2027, because the SI portal only opens from 8 to 24 February 2027 and it asks for that application.

Eligibility: You are a female citizen of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Thailand or Vietnam

Deadline: February 24, 2027
Location: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya
Funding or benefit: Full tuition fee coverage paid directly by SI to the Swedish university each semester, a monthly allowance of SEK 12,000, and a one-time travel grant of SEK 15,000.

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SI Scholarship for Global Professionals holders at a leadership workshop, photo by Moa Karlberg for the Swedish Institute.

ScholarshipOpen

Swedish Institute (Svenska institutet)

SI Scholarship for Global Professionals 2027

The Swedish Institute’s flagship master’s scholarship for citizens of 34 countries, Nigeria included, covering Governance, Public Health, Entrepreneurship and Innovation or STEM at a Swedish university from autumn 2027. SI pays full tuition, SEK 12,000 a month for living costs and a one-time SEK 15,000 travel grant. Note the sequence: your master’s programme application through University Admissions closes on 15 January 2027, and the SI scholarship portal itself only runs from 8 to 24 February 2027, closing at 14:59 CET.

Eligibility: You are a citizen of one of the 34 eligible countries, which include Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana’s neighbours in the list, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Liberia

Deadline: February 24, 2027
Location: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh
Funding or benefit: Full tuition fee coverage paid directly by SI to the Swedish university each semester, a monthly allowance of SEK 12,000, and a one-time travel grant of SEK 15,000.

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FellowshipOpen

The Basis Fellowship

The Basis Fellowship 2026 by Orbit, a US$50,000 award with no strings attached

The Basis Fellowship gives individual operators, engineers and scientists a US$50,000 award with no equity taken and no strings attached, plus a permanent peer community. Admissions are open and rolling.

Eligibility: Open to operators, engineers, scientists and anyone building substantive work

Deadline: Timeline not announced
Location: Africa
Funding or benefit: US$50,000 with no strings attached and no equity taken, plus discretionary amounts of $1,000 and $3,000 for strong applications that do not make the cohort.

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GrantOpen

Wellcome

Wellcome Discovery Awards

Wellcome Discovery Awards fund established researchers and teams from any discipline to pursue bold, creative ideas that can drive significant shifts in understanding human life, health and wellbeing. There are no application deadlines, submissions can be made at any time, the average award is GBP 3.5 million, and awards run up to 8 years. From 29 October 2026 the scheme narrows its lead applicant locations to the UK and low- and middle-income countries in Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia, which keeps African-based researchers firmly in scope.

Eligibility: Lead applicants are established researchers with international standing in their field

Deadline: Timeline not announced
Location: Africa
Funding or benefit: Applicants request the resources their research programme needs and justify them. The average award is £3.5 million, applications above £5 million are subject to additional scrutiny, and awards run up to 8 years.

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