Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) · European Union
The European Commission has announced the MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 call under its Horizon Europe framework. This initiative funds highly competitive, international doctoral programmes implemented by partnerships of universities, research institutions, and businesses. The program is explicitly open to third-country organizations, allowing the University of Malawi (UNIMA) to join global consortia to host, train, and exchange elite PhD researchers. The funding supports structured doctoral programs, including traditional, Industrial, or Joint Doctorates.
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-17: This coordination action funds the establishment of a global expert network on critical raw materials, bringing together research institutions, geological surveys, industry, and policymakers across Europe and partner countries, including Africa, to share knowledge, build common methodologies, and provide scientific advice to policy processes.
Deadline
Opens: 22 September 2026 | Closes: 2 February 202785 days left
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-16: This call funds R&D into novel processing technologies for raw and secondary materials, targeting improved efficiency, reduced environmental footprint, and lower dependency on scarce input materials. Topics include novel smelting, refining, separation, and beneficiation technologies applicable to African mineral resource contexts.
Deadline
Opens: 22 September 2026 | Closes: 2 February 202785 days left
Value
€5–6 million per project | Up to 4 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
Innovation Action to accelerate uptake of AI solutions by local innovation hubs in low- and middle-income countries, explicitly to strengthen local AI ecosystems in African countries: Living Labs inside local hubs, local-data training of existing AI models (building on GenAI for Africa and AI for Public Good), and full real-world validation with initial support for large-scale deployment.
Deadline
18 March 2027 (planned opening 17 November 2026)129 days left
Value
Up to EUR 1.5 million per project, up to 2 projects
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL5-2027-02-D3-10: This call supports the development of integrated Renewable Energy Valley (REV) models in Africa - geographic zones where multiple renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydropower, green hydrogen) are co-located with industrial, agricultural, or community users to maximise energy access and security. Projects should demonstrate scalable and replicable models.
Deadline
Opens: 3 December 2026 | Closes: 31 March 2027142 days left
Value
€4.5 million per project | Up to 2 projects funded
European Commission — Horizon Europe · European Union
HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02: This two-stage call supports integrated research on the water–nutrient–energy nexus in African smallholder and commercial agriculture, examining how trade-offs and synergies between water use, fertiliser application, and energy consumption can be optimised for climate-smart, productive, and sustainable outcomes. The two-stage process means a short Stage 1 concept note is submitted first, with full proposals submitted only by invited applicants.
Deadline
Opens: 3 December 2026 | Closes: 31 March 2027150 days left
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-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-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-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.
