Africa-UniNet Seventh Call: Research Partnerships Between Africa and Austria

Last verified: 21 October 2026. Applications open; projects begin July–December 2027.

Does your African university have a research question that would benefit from an equitable Austrian partnership? Africa-UniNet’s seventh call supports collaboration among its member institutions, with eligibility and coordination requirements that should be checked before drafting.

Opportunity at a glance

Who should consider applying?

The coordinator must be a PhD-qualified researcher at an Austrian member institution. At least one African and one Austrian member must participate, with the relevant membership fees paid. The call supports PhD students and researchers, not master’s-level participation.

Important limits: Own contributions are required. Personnel, overhead and infrastructure costs are excluded; consumables are limited to €5,000. This is not a standalone grant for an African NGO or an individual degree scholarship.

How to apply

Prepare the research proposal, budget, CVs and partner letters, and submit in English through StipOnline. Check all participating institutions against the official membership and call requirements.

Read the official programme guidance and follow its application link.

Africads application guidance

The following recommendations are Africads guidance, not additional donor requirements.

• Agree the scientific contribution of each partner before assigning budget shares. Collaboration is stronger when field access, methods, analysis and dissemination reflect complementary expertise.
• Discuss ownership and publication practices early. Set expectations for data access, authorship, student supervision and the use of results in each institution.
• Separate the project’s total resource needs from what the grant can pay. Identify how institutions will cover staff time and other excluded costs without weakening delivery.
• Turn mobility into a research method. Explain why a visit is needed, which work happens during it and what output can be checked afterwards.

A practical preparation worksheet

Create a joint-workplan matrix with research question, activity, institutional lead, contribution of the other partner, deliverable and budget. Add columns for institutional approval, ethics requirements and data-management responsibilities so that cooperation is visible beyond travel arrangements.

Copy these prompts into your working document and add an evidence reference, responsible person and completion date to each answer. Treat missing evidence as a task to resolve, rather than a claim to strengthen with more persuasive wording.

Five questions applicants ask

Can the African partner coordinate the submission?

The published call requires an Austrian member-institution coordinator.

Can any university participate?

Check current network membership and fee conditions.

Is a master’s scholarship included?

No. The call specifies its research participation levels.

Why identify own contributions?

The project must remain feasible where grant costs are restricted.

What makes a partnership balanced?

Africads recommends shared intellectual decisions and clear contributions, not only equal travel.

Conclusion and next steps

Use the call to develop a focused research collaboration with agreed responsibilities. Membership, institutional commitment and a compliant budget should be settled before the final application is assembled.

For a structured decision on fit, evidence and preparation, use the Africads Grant Funding Toolkit. GrantsWriterAI can help organise a draft; check every statement and budget item against the official rules.

For an opportunity or application review, contact Kimanzi@africadslive.com. Subscribe free to Grant News for verified opportunities and practical funding intelligence. Africads is an independent information service; selection remains the provider’s decision.