The Global Initiatives Grant supports highly innovative projects that address systemic disciplinary needs and create conditions for anthropologists to advance their public work. For the 2026–2030 funding cycles, the call is exclusively dedicated to making a single award for pioneering projects in public anthropology designed to reach broad, non-academic audiences. Rather than funding standard academic field research, this grant finances targeted, high-impact interventions or long-term infrastructure—such as major public media campaigns, training programs, or new platforms for public communication—that bring anthropological perspectives directly into public decision-making.
Supports collaborative anthropological research partnerships, empowers marginalised populations, and integrates non-academic community members as core team partners to advance both community transformation and academic theory.
Deadline
August 1 annually (portal opens June 1)265 days left
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-DEMOCRACY-05: This call examines the relationship between development aid flows and democratic governance outcomes in recipient countries. Projects should investigate conditionality, aid modalities, donor coordination, absorption capacity, and the effects of aid on governance institutions, public accountability, and citizens' political behaviour.
Deadline
Opens: May 2027 | Closes: 21 September 2027316 days left
Value
€3.5–4 million per project | Up to 3 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-HERITAGE-06: This call supports research on approaches to make cultural tourism more sustainable in environmental, economic, and social terms. Projects should examine overtourism impacts, community benefit-sharing, climate resilience of heritage sites, digital innovation in tourism, and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage under tourist pressure.
Deadline
Opens: May 2027 | Closes: 21 September 2027316 days left
Value
€4–4.8 million per project | Up to 3 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-DEMOCRACY-08: This call funds comparative and interdisciplinary research on global human rights frameworks, their effectiveness, and how EU values interact with diverse human rights traditions globally. Topics may include enforcement mechanisms, cultural legitimacy of rights frameworks, economic and social rights, and the role of regional human rights bodies.
Deadline
Opens: May 2027 | Closes: 21 September 2027316 days left
Value
€3.5–4 million per project | Up to 3 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-DIGITAL-EMERGING-06: This call supports collaborative research on AI between the EU and partner countries, including those in Africa, addressing AI safety, trustworthiness, bias mitigation, and the development of AI systems adapted to diverse cultural and linguistic contexts. Projects should demonstrate tangible benefits for both the EU and the partner country communities.
Deadline
Opens: September 2027 | Closes: December 2027387 days left
Value
€5–7 million per project | Up to 3 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
The European Commission launched Africa Initiative IV under the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027, allocating approximately €605 million to support EU–Africa cooperation in research and innovation. The calls are published by the European External Action Service (EEAS). The full list of calls is available at the official call page.
Tiered, evidence-based funding for innovations - products, services, delivery models, policies - that measurably improve the lives of people living in poverty in low- and middle-income countries, from piloting through rigorous testing to transition to scale
Deadline
Rolling - per the DIV Fund RFP
Value
Stage 1: up to USD 200,000; Stage 2: up to USD 500,000; Stage 3 up to USD 1.5 million
Long-running scheme funding practical nature-conservation fieldwork in developing countries. Designed for early-career conservationists; small, fast and renewable across four funding stages as a project matures.
Deadline
Rolling - no deadlines
Value
Staged: 1st Grant up to £7,000; 2nd up to £8,000; Booster up to £12,000; Completion up to £18,000. Fieldwork costs only
The Humboldt Research Fellowship enables you to conduct your own research at various stages of your career in collaboration with a host at a German research institution of your choice. Hosts may apply for a subsidy towards research costs. Fellows can stay 6 to 24 months.
Prestigious award for highly experienced researchers from developing countries with outstanding academic records. Recipients collaborate with German research institutions.
Deadline
Rolling — nomination period usually ends on 31 October of each year.
Value
€60,000 (one-time award) plus funded research stays in Germany
