What International Foundation for Science (IFS) Research Grants for Africa actually covers.
The International Foundation for Science (IFS) provides individual research grants to early career scientists in low- and lower-middle income countries, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. IFS grants support young African scientists in conducting research in agriculture, food science, forestry, fisheries, animal husbandry, aquatic resources, water, and environment. Each grant provides up to US$15,000 in funding for research equipment, consumables, laboratory supplies, travel, and field work costs. IFS is a Swedish-based intergovernmental organisation that has supported over 7,000 scientists in more than 90 countries since 1972. The organisation focuses on building a critical mass of African research capacity by supporting early career scientists at pivotal stages of their research careers. IFS grants are highly regarded and help recipients build credibility, attract further funding, and advance their careers. African scientists who are within the first five years of their independent research career and are affiliated with an eligible institution are encouraged to apply.
Who can apply.
Open to postdoctoral applicants. Eligible nationalities are listed below.
46 more eligible countries — full list available on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
Four steps to a complete application.
Scholar Africa is a discovery and tracking platform — the application itself is submitted directly through the official provider site. The steps below mirror our HowTo schema.
Check eligibility
Confirm your nationality, academic level, and field of study match the criteria above.
Eligibility checklist
Prepare documents
Transcripts, recommendation letters, personal statement, and a valid passport.
Document checklist
Submit the application
Submit before June 30, 2026 via the official portal.
Submission checklist
Track your application
Use your Scholar Africa dashboard to monitor status and deadline reminders.
Post-submission checklist
What we checked, when we checked it.
Scholar Africa runs a link-liveness check on every listing before it goes live. Five additional checks (contact, organisation, winners, third-party, manual review) are on the roadmap. International Foundation for Science (IFS) Research Grants for Africa currently scores 4.0/10.
Verification details Click to expand
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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.