Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) Essential Grant-Writing Skills Programme 2026

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About AREF Essential Grant-Writing Skills Programme

The Programme aim is to enable talented early-career health- and health-related researchers from countries in Africa to build skills to develop their own research and fellowship proposals of the quality required to win competitive international, regional and national funding.

• Sponsor Organisation: Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF)

Benefits of AREF Essential Grant-Writing Skills Programme

What the Programme will cover

• Developing and expressing your unique research niche
• Formulating your compelling research question
• Understanding funders’ requirements
• Writing in plain English
• Writing the different sections of a proposal
• Key parts of a typical Case for Support / Project Description
• Planning your proposal project plan and budget
• Principles of managing your collaboration and team
• Understanding and practicing peer review 
• Preparing for a Fellowship interview.

What the Programme will not cover

• The programme will not cover the following: how to get research ethics approval; how to complete individual funders’ application forms; the details of intellectual property management; practice in research communication.
• The facilitators will use examples of real funding applications.  However, they will not be assisting participants directly with the participants’ own specific proposals.

AREF Essential Grant-Writing Skills Programme Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be citizens of an African country

• Be employed in Africa by a recognised university or research institution

• Be early-career researchers with:

  • A research doctorate (PhD, DPhil, MD) awarded on or after 1 January 2020, or

  • A medical/clinical qualification with a research-relevant Master’s degree obtained on or after 1 January 2020

• Conduct a significant portion of their role in health research

• Not have previously participated in similar grant-writing training

• Not already hold international research grants totaling £250,000 or more

Application Date and Process

• Click on the link to the application website to apply.

Application Deadline

03 April, 2026

Opportunity Application

View details of AREF Essential Grant-Writing Skills Programme

Apply for AREF Essential Grant-Writing Skills Programme

Need help with your application?

• Essay Writingfrom $23
• Statement of Purpose (SOP)from $25
• Academic CVfrom $20
• Grant Proposal Writingfrom $100