African Engineering and Technology Network (Afretec) / Carnegie Mellon University Africa Opportunities Opportunities

Summary

Carnegie Mellon University Africa, in support of the African Engineering and Technology Network, is inviting proposals for collaborative seed-funding grants that establish and grow research capacity in engineering and technology, and accelerate inclusive digital transformation across Africa.

This call supports multi-institutional research teams with a special focus on new Afretec partner universities, early-career researchers, and projects that significantly advance inclusive excellence and digital transformation (artificial intelligence, information and communication technology, and cybersecurity, etc.).

Details

• Award amount: Up to $30,000 USD per project

• Award period: 12 months, beginning February 1, 2027

• Estimated grants: A total of approximately 8 grants

• Eligibility: Teams must include principal investigators from at least two Afretec member universities, with at least one of the four newest partner institutions (Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Agostinho Neto University, Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, or University Cheikh Anta Diop) involved on the project team as lead

• Special focus: New Afretec partner universities, early-career researchers, and projects that significantly advance inclusive excellence

• Focus areas: Health, environment and sustainability, energy, agriculture, education, financial inclusion, infrastructure, manufacturing, transportation, waste systems, and water systems with strong encouragement for projects addressing the needs of women, youth, people with disabilities, refugees, and displaced persons

The submission deadline is September 14 at 5:00 pm CAT

How to apply

Proposals must be submitted through the InfoReady portal of Carnegie Mellon University. The submission deadline is September 14 at 5:00 pm CAT.

Learn more by reading the full call for proposals, including detailed guidelines, eligibility criteria, and required application components (cover page, project narrative, researcher profiles, future plans, inclusion statement, and budget).

Attend An Information Session

Register for an info session to be held on August 27, 2026, 1:00-2:00 pm CAT

Funding Structure Of The Network

Funds are distributed to Afretec members through the following mechanisms:

• Proposals: These are typically competitive calls for proposals to which Afretec partners (possibly with outside partners) prepare and submit proposals which undergo peer and programmatic review, a subset of which are funded.

• Targeted funds: These are funds which have a specific purpose and set of activities that the Afretec Network agrees to support. Examples include meetings, student and faculty mobility, and other programs.

• Base-funding: These are fixed-amount funds that are sent to each Afretec partner for a common set of base activities.