New Grants of up to $15,000 for Africa-Based Early Childhood Development Researchers

Grants Overview

Deadline: Friday, 28 February 2025 at 23:59 GMT 
Countries of research: Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania (priority), and other eligible sub-Saharan African countries 
Grant amount: Up to $15,000 
Time period for carrying out research: Ten months

 Application form: https://forms.gle/5Ut98kfuizG8VSXBA 

Are you passionate about transforming the lives of young children in Africa? The Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre at the University of Cambridge and Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA), with funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, are offering grants of up to $15,000 to support African Early Childhood Development (ECD) researchers in Central, East, West and Southern Africa. 

Context and importance: This initiative is part of Phase 2 of an ECD-focused project. We are building on our efforts in Phase 1 to identify the researchers, understand their professional needs, strengthen their research capacity, and address critical challenges facing the region’s youngest learners. 

For more details, please refer to the concept note here. 

Why this matters: ECD is the foundation for lifelong learning and societal progress. However, the challenges are significant: 

• 250 million children under five in low- and middle-income countries risk falling short of their developmental potential (WHO, 2020). 

• Early childhood development is key to school readiness. Children in Africa are five times less likely to achieve basic reading proficiency by the end of primary school compared to their global peers (UNESCO, 2023). 

Why fund African ECD researchers? Funding African ECD researchers based in Africa is crucial because they possess the local knowledge and contextual understanding needed to address the unique challenges faced by children in their regions. By empowering these researchers, we can: 

• Develop context-specific, policy-relevant solutions that are more effective and sustainable. 

• Build local research capacity, ensuring long-term improvements in ECD. 

• Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing within the African research community. 

What is on offer? A total of 20 to 25 grants will support high-impact, policy-relevant research focused on topics that involve education and its interplay with one or more of: health, nutrition, caregiving, play, or environmental protection for children aged 0 to 8 years. Funding will cover research activities, including costs related to data collection (as relevant), analysis, and dissemination. 

Research proposed for funding via this grant can also be supported by other financial sources, but other support must not have already been covered by any of the research costs requested under this grant.

Focus countries: Focus countries are Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique. In addition, funds will be available for successful applications from Central, East, West and Southern Africa. Collaborative projects between institutions or countries are encouraged. 

Eligibility: Africa-based African researchers with a PhD, working in a relevant research-oriented institution or unit, such as a university, research think tank, or research unit in government department/ministry are eligible to lead applications for these grants. Applications must focus on context-specific, policy-relevant and actionable research addressing key ECD challenges. 

Applications are open now! 

Apply here

Webinar

On 23 January 2025, ESSA and the REAL Centre hosted an engaging webinar about grants available. We were excited to see such an incredible turnout, with over 300 participants representing 16 African countries. It is inspiring to see such a strong commitment to driving impactful Early Childhood Development research across the continent. 

If you missed the live session, you can watch the recording here. 

Join us in transforming Early Childhood Development research and creating brighter futures for Africa’s youngest generation! 

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