Up to €3,000 AGNES Mobility Grant

The African-German Network of Excellence in Science (AGNES), funded by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, funds doctoral candidates in sub-Saharan Africa to spend one to two months at a university or research institute in another sub-Saharan African country. You work alongside an experienced scientific host on part of your own doctoral research, from lab and bench work to library research or writing up a thesis chapter. There are two strands: a general grant open to all, and a special grant for women researchers only.

What you get:

• Up to EUR 2,300 for a one month stay, EUR 2,650 for six weeks, or EUR 3,000 for two months
• Coverage of return travel by land or economy flight, and subsistence (rent, meals, local transport, health insurance) during the stay
• A research allowance paid to your host institution to cover bench fees, deducted from the grant total (EUR 100 a month in Humanities and Social Sciences, EUR 200 a month in Natural, Life and Engineering Sciences)
• A working place and collaboration with an experienced researcher in another sub-Saharan African country, and access to the AGNES and Humboldt networks

What you'll do:

• Spend one to two months at a host university or research institute in another sub-Saharan African country, between 1 March and 31 July 2027
• Carry out part of your doctoral research there, such as bench or laboratory work, library research, or writing up part of your thesis

• Must be a national of a sub-Saharan African country
• Must be officially registered for a doctoral degree at a university or tertiary institute in sub-Saharan Africa at the time of application
• Must have at least one paper from your thesis work published in a journal indexed by SCOPUS or Web of Science
• Any academic discipline: sciences, humanities, law and social sciences
• Must have an identified scientific host in another sub-Saharan African country who agrees in writing to the proposal and work schedule
• Must show the work is relevant to development in sub-Saharan Africa and cannot be done in your home country
• Required documents: a research proposal of up to 5 pages, a CV on the AGNES template, proof of doctoral registration, academic transcripts, a list of publications with first pages in one PDF, two travel quotes, a cost of living estimate, and an invitation letter from the host
• The special strand is for female candidates only; women may apply to both strands but receive at most one grant