AGNES Intra-Africa Mobility Grants for Junior Researchers 2026

The African-German Network of Excellence in Science (AGNES) has opened its 2026 Intra-Africa Mobility Grants for Junior Researchers. Funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, with support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the grants strengthen research capacity and collaboration across Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme supports a one- or two-month research stay at a university or research institute in a Sub-Saharan African country other than the applicant’s home country. The proposed activity must form part of the applicant’s doctoral research and may include laboratory or bench work, library research, or thesis writing. Funding ranges from €2,300 to €3,000 depending on the length of the stay. It is intended to cover travel and subsistence, with a research allowance for the host institution available on request. The grant cannot fund a stay retroactively. There are two routes: a general grant open to eligible women and men, and a special grant for women only. Women may apply for either or both routes but can receive no more than one grant. Applications are welcome from all academic disciplines, and there is no country quota within Sub-Saharan Africa. Applicants must complete the official online application in English and upload all required documents. These include a research proposal and work schedule agreed by the host, the AGNES-format CV, proof of current doctoral registration, transcripts, publication evidence, two travel quotations, estimated living costs and health insurance, and an invitation letter from the scientific host. Incomplete applications or applications that do not follow the stated format will be rejected. Applications close at 23:59 GMT on 16 October 2026.

Applicants must: • be nationals of a Sub-Saharan African country; • be currently registered for a doctoral degree at a university or tertiary institution in Sub-Saharan Africa; • have published at least one paper arising from earlier thesis work in a non-predatory journal indexed by Scopus or Web of Science; • propose doctoral research that is relevant to development in Sub-Saharan Africa and cannot be conducted in the home country; • identify an experienced scientific host at an institution in another Sub-Saharan African country; • agree a proposal and work schedule with that host before applying; • submit the complete application and supporting documents in English. Men may apply only for the general grant. Women may apply for the general grant, the women-only grant, or both, but may receive only one award.