What AI4D African Scholars Programme (IDRC) actually covers.
The Artificial Intelligence for Development (AI4D) Africa Scholars Programme, funded by Canada's IDRC and Sweden's Sida, supports PhD students and early-career researchers across Africa working on AI research with social impact. The programme covers research grants, travel to AI conferences, mentorship, and community-building among African AI researchers. Thematic areas include AI for agriculture, health, climate, and education across the continent.
Who can apply.
Open to phd, postdoctoral applicants. Eligible nationalities are listed below.
46 more eligible countries — full list available on the official application page.
Accepted fields.
AI4D African Scholars Programme (IDRC) currently lists the following eligible fields of study. Other related disciplines may also be considered — check the official call.
From here to submitted.
Scholar Africa helps you discover, shortlist, and track. The application itself is submitted on the provider's site.
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Save itAdd this to your shortlist so we can recommend similar scholarships and remind you of the deadline.
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Prepare your documentsMost providers ask for the same set — transcripts, references, a personal statement, ID. Use the checklist below to track progress across all your applications.
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Apply on the provider's siteSubmit on the provider's site before November 30, 2026 · 141 days left.
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Track the outcomeAdd to your tracker so you can update the status as the provider responds (shortlisted, interview, decision).
Document checklist
Checks are local to this device — they're not stored. Always confirm exact requirements on the provider's official application page.
What we checked, when we checked it.
Scholar Africa runs a link-liveness check on every listing before it goes live and an admin manually reviews every scholarship submitted by providers. AI4D African Scholars Programme (IDRC) has been reviewed and verified by our team. Five deeper checks (contact, organisation, winners, third-party, formal audit) are on the roadmap.
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Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.