The Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) Research Development Fellowship supports early-career researchers based in Africa who are working on important human health challenges — including non-communicable diseases such as cancer — by funding an immersive placement at a leading research institution in the UK, Europe, or Africa. The programme is built on the belief that Africa’s health solutions should be led by African scientists, and it targets a specific skills gap each fellow has identified, offering a structured experience that includes pre-placement preparation and post-placement integration support at the fellow’s home institution. The fellowship is designed to build long-term research leadership capacity within Africa-based institutions.
Eligibility Criteria:
Applicants must:
- Be a national of, and currently employed in, an African country
- Be a research-active postdoctoral scientist or clinician with a higher qualification (equivalent to or beyond a Master’s degree)
- Be an emerging research leader working on challenges in human health (including oncology/NCDs)
- Identify a specific skills gap to be addressed through the placement
- Have secured agreement from a host institution (UK, Europe, or Africa) for the placement
- Have institutional support from their employing organisation to allow leave of absence
Funding Details:
- Up to £47,000 total funding
- Covers: accommodation, travel, subsistence, training, and research consumables during a 3–9 month placement
- Note: AREF does not reimburse the applicant’s salary — employing institution must continue salary support
- Fellowships can start between June 2027 and December 2027
Deadline:
- Application deadline: 8 May 2026, 13:00 GMT
- Decisions communicated: December 2026
Where to go for further information:
- Application portal
- Programme page: africaresearchexcellencefund.org.uk
- Contact: via the portal’s “Contact Us” section (preferred by 27 April 2026)