Harvard University Motsepe Presidential Research Accelerator Fund for Africa 2025/2026

The Motsepe Presidential Research Accelerator Fund for Africa supports faculty-led and student-driven research projects addressing key challenges in Africa, including areas such as emerging technologies, climate-related health and livelihoods, renewable energy, health, aging, materials science, and governance for an entrepreneurial economy. The program prioritizes multidisciplinary collaboration and partnerships with Africa-based academics and/or Africa-focused work. Awards fund research activities across Harvard Schools and affiliated collaborators.

Funding for research activities, including support for Harvard postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates as appropriate to the project; distributed as part of a research grant.

Applications are invited from individuals who hold a faculty appointment at a Harvard School and who have principal investigator rights at that School. HMS faculty must hold PI rights in one of HMS’s basic or social science departments.

Submit a proposal including a 150-word summary, a up to 1,000-word project description with collaboration details, CVs/biosketches, budget with justification, and an attestation from the applicant’s department.