Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund

The Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund aims to catalyze new and strengthen existing collaborations between researchers in Africa and Cambridge, while supporting high-quality training activities.

📜 About Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund

The Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund was established in 2012, with generous support from The ALBORADA Trust. It supports pairs of researchers (post-doctoral level and above) from the University of Cambridge (or affiliated institutions such as the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, NIAB, and British Antarctic Survey) and African institutions, across all disciplines, to initiate and/or strengthen research collaborations.

Key Highlights:

• Established: 2012
• Awards to Date: 367 awards
• Collaborations: Researchers from 38 African countries
• Purpose: Encourage research, training, and engagement activities between Cambridge and Africa.

Objectives:

• Act as a seed fund to develop new research activities and joint funding applications.
• Build new partnerships or expand existing ones with potential for long-term collaboration.
• Strengthen the research capacity of African researchers and institutions.

Note: The fund does not cover overheads, PI salaries, administration costs, bench fees, or conference attendance.

🎁 Benefits of the Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund

The fund competitively awards grants ranging from £1,000 to £20,000 for the following:

• Research costs (e.g., reagents, fieldwork, and equipment).
• Research-related travel between Cambridge and Africa.
• Conducting research training activities in Africa (e.g., setting up courses/workshops).

✅ Eligibility Criteria

1. Applicants:

   • Both applicants must be at post-doctoral level or above.
   • Both applicants must have a formal link to a research group/department/faculty in their home institution.
   • Both applicants must remain employed beyond the end date of their ALBORADA awards.

2. Cambridge Applicant:

   • Must be working at the University of Cambridge or an affiliated research institute (e.g., Wellcome Sanger Institute, NIAB, British Antarctic Survey).
   • Will act as the lead applicant for administrative purposes.

3. African Applicant:

   • Must be based in an African research institution or university.

Note: The awards are not intended to support postgraduate students, but limited support for students may be considered if it enhances the collaboration between the Cambridge and African Principal Investigators (PIs).

📅 Application Date and Process

Application Deadline:

05 September 2025

Application Process:

Both applicants must register and complete a saveable online application form. Final submissions should include the following documents:

• Case for support: Details of both the research and collaboration plans.
• Itemized budget: Template provided.
• Letters of support:
  • From the department/faculty of the Cambridge PI (or Head of Division for the Department of Engineering).
  • From the department/institution of the African PI.
• CVs: Maximum of 2 pages for both the Cambridge and African PIs.
• Referees: Details of two referees with no conflicts of interest.

Online Application:

• The Cambridge-based applicant must register here using an institutional email address (e.g., @cam.ac.uk, @sanger.ac.uk, @babraham.ac.uk, @bas.ac.uk, @niab.com).
• After registration, the Cambridge applicant can invite the Africa-based applicant to register and edit the forms.

If you encounter issues with registration, contact alboradafund@cambridge-africa.cam.ac.uk.

🔗 Additional Information

For further details, visit the Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund page.

To apply, access the application portal here.

🌟 Important Notes

• Priority will be given to applications that build new partnerships or expand existing ones with potential for long-term collaboration.
• Projects should ideally strengthen the research capacity of the African researcher and/or institution.
• The fund cannot be used for overheads, PI salaries, administration costs, bench fees, or conference attendance.

For any inquiries, email alboradafund@cambridge-africa.cam.ac.uk.

• Grants of between £1,000 and £20,000 for research costs (such as reagents, fieldwork and equipment).
• Research-related travel between Cambridge and Africa.
• Conducting research training activities in Africa (e.g. setting up courses/workshops).