Closing soonGrant2026

African Researchers' Small Grants Programme VIII

Implementation research on neglected tropical diseases

African Research Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ARNTD) with COR-NTD

African-led implementation research grants for neglected tropical diseases, with early-career awards up to US$30,000 and restricted mid-career awards up to US$65,000.

What it funds

  • African-led operational and implementation research addressing NTD control and elimination
  • Projects addressing implementation or programme challenges
  • Work aligned with national NTD programme interests and the WHO 2030 NTD Roadmap
  • Research that strengthens African research capacity and leadership

Eligibility

Institutional base
A research institution or university in Africa
Early-career stream
Up to US$30,000, four awards, for early-career researchers and PhD students
Mid-career stream
Up to US$65,000, two awards, restricted to previous SGP I-VI grantees who completed their earlier SGP research
Programme alignment
The research should align with the applicant country's NTD programme interests
Language
Initial applications in English, French or Portuguese; shortlisted applicants submit in English

Is this a fit?

Apply if

  • You are based at an African university or research institution
  • Your study addresses an operational or implementation problem in NTD control or elimination
  • You can demonstrate alignment with the relevant national NTD programme
  • You are an early-career researcher or PhD student applying to the early-career stream
  • For the mid-career stream, you meet the prior-SGP-grantee restriction

Skip it if

  • Your research is not related to NTD implementation or programme priorities
  • You are applying to the mid-career stream but have never been an eligible SGP I-VI grantee
  • Your proposal is disconnected from the national NTD programme
  • Your work is basic laboratory science without an operational or implementation-research link

What you need to prepare

Needed at application

  • Application through the relevant ARNTD form for the chosen stream
  • Research problem and objectives
  • Operational or implementation relevance
  • Alignment with the national NTD programme
  • Applicant and institutional information
  • Budget
  • Capacity-building value

Needed later in the process

  • Full proposal and additional documentation in English for shortlisted applicants

Key dates

Call opened
2026-07-24T17:00:00 GMT
Call closes
2026-08-24T17:00:00 GMT
East Africa equivalent
24 August 2026

The Methods Bench take

Best suited for
Early-career African researchers who already have a focused NTD implementation question and a relationship with the relevant programme or research institution.
The main hurdle
Programme relevance matters. A good academic question is not enough if it is detached from NTD control or elimination priorities.
Start early on
Confirming the correct funding stream, national-programme alignment and a tightly scoped implementation question.
Watch out for
The US$65,000 mid-career award is not a generic mid-career call. It has a previous-SGP-grantee restriction.

Before you start, check

  • Are you based at an African research institution or university?
  • Does the study address an NTD programme or implementation problem?
  • Is the work aligned with national NTD programme interests?
  • Are you applying to the correct career stream?
  • If applying mid-career, are you a qualifying previous SGP grantee?

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