TWAS Seed Grant for New African Principal Investigators (SG-NAPI) 2025

Early-career researchers in Africa have an incredible opportunity to secure funding through the TWAS Seed Grant for New African Principal Investigators (SG-NAPI) 2025. Backed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), this initiative by UNESCO-TWAS aims to enhance scientific research in African nations that are lagging behind in science and technology. It specifically supports researchers who earned their PhD abroad and have recently returned—or plan to return soon—to an academic position in their home country.

Funding and Grant Details

• Grant Amount: Up to $67,700 per research unit.
• Duration: Typically awarded for 24 months.
• Allowed Expenses:
  • Scientific equipment and consumables.
  • Partial support for fieldwork in special cases.
  • Equipment maintenance.
  • Specialized literature (e.g., textbooks, conference proceedings).
• Not Covered:
  • Principal Investigator’s salary.
  • Travel expenses (unless part of conference/mobility components).
  • Fuel, consultancy fees, labor costs, laptops, tablets, drones, or lab animals.

Who Can Apply?

To qualify, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Must be a national of an eligible African country listed in the guidelines.
• Must hold a PhD and have strong research experience.
• Should be employed or in the process of securing a position at a university or research institution in their home country.
• Must be 40 years old or younger. Anyone turning 41 in the application year is not eligible.
• Must have earned their PhD within the last 5 years and in a country outside their home country.
• Must have returned to their home country within the last 36 months or must return by end of 2024.
• Must not have an active TWAS or OWSD Early Career Women Scientists (ECWS) Fellowship grant at the time of application.

Applications from women scientists and researchers in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are highly encouraged.

Important Application Guidelines

• A strong research proposal is required. Resources on how to craft a compelling proposal are available via AuthorAID.
• Applicants can apply for only one TWAS or OWSD program per calendar year.
• Those applying for TWAS Visiting Scientists or Visiting Professor programs within the same year are not eligible, except for institutional heads inviting external scholars under these programs.

Interested candidates should submit their application online before the March 27, 2025 deadline.

APPLY NOW

For full details, visit the TWAS Seed Grant official page.