How to Get Grants and Investors to Fund Your Research As an African
Research is generally expensive, and takes much time before you start seeing returns on investment. But as an African researcher, it’s even slightly harder to get grants and investors to fund your research.
Yes, research is vital for Africa's development, as it can help solve the continent's most pressing problems, such as poverty, disease, climate change, and conflict.
However, many African researchers face challenges securing funding, such as difficulty accessing information, professional networks, and resources. African researchers also tend to face bias and discrimination from some funders than researchers from other parts of the world.
This guide will explore how to get grants and investors to fund your research as an African. Find out tips and strategies on how to find and apply for funding opportunities.
Types of Funding Sources Available to African Researchers
Grants
Grants are funds that are given to you by a donor organization, such as a government agency, a foundation, or a corporation. They fund very specific aspects of your research, such as equipment, travel, personnel, and dissemination.
Most grants also have specific criteria and requirements that you need to meet in order to apply and receive them. They are very competitive and time-consuming to apply for and could limit your research scope.
Fellowships
Fellowships are awards that are given to you by a host institution, such as a university, a research center, or a think tank. They typically provide access to resources such as workspaces, labs, and a stipend.
With Fellowships, you receive benefits that make your research easier, not funding. Instead, they help you develop your skills, knowledge, and reputation as a researcher, and they can also offer you opportunities for collaboration and mentorship.?
Like grants, fellowships can also be very selective and restrictive in terms of eligibility, duration, and location.
Investment
An investment is funding you receive from an investor, such as an angel investor, venture capitalist, or crowdfunding platform. An investment typically expects you to make a profit, have a positive social impact, or own intellectual property.
Unlike grants and fellowships, investments give you more flexibility and autonomy in your research. They also tend to have larger funding, making it easy for you to scale up your impact and reach.
However, investments also come with some risks and demands in terms of accountability, transparency, and performance.
Popular Grants and Fellowships for African Researchers
The purpose of these programs is to strengthen African researchers’ skills, leadership, and mentorship, and to provide creative solutions to Africa’s health and development issues.
AAS provides a variety of grants and fellowships to African researchers, including the AAS affiliates program, the AAS research management program, and the AAS grand challenges Africa program.
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NEF is an initiative of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)? that aims to promote and nurture African science and innovation. It provides grants and scholarships to African researchers, like the NEF fellows program, NEF ambassadors program, and NEF Challenge of Invention to Innovation (C2i).
These programs recognize and reward outstanding African scientists and innovators, as well as inspire young Africans to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
ARUA is a network of 16 of Africa’s top universities to promote research excellence and cooperation between them. It offers various grants and fellowships for African researchers, such as the ARUA Centres of Excellence, the ARUA Doctoral Scholarships, and the ARUA Postdoctoral Fellowships. These programs support research in areas such as climate change, food security, migration, urbanization, and water.
Tips to Increase Your Chances of Getting Sponsored
How to Find Investors Interested in Funding African Research
Keep an eye out for opportunities to network and connect with people in similar fields such as conferences, workshops, or webinars. Don't forget to get in touch with your contacts and mentors to ask for advice or recommendations.?
Publish your work in journals, websites, and newsletters related to your research area or field. Be proactive about showing investors and institutions what you have to offer, you can do this by creating a portfolio, website, or podcast that shows off your work and what you've achieved. You can also enter competitions or awards that showcase your work.
Create a video or a pitch deck that outlines your research concept, team, market, traction, and ask. Send out emails or phone calls to potential investors to set up a meeting or get feedback.?
Also, not all investors will be interested in your research and your application may slip through the cracks; keep in touch until you receive a response or offer.
Conclusion
Getting funding for your research as an African can be challenging but it is not impossible. There are several funding sources such as grants, fellowships, and foundation that funds African research.
You also need to be proactive about looking for opportunities and investors to fund your research by networking, getting published in reputable journals, and others.