Harvard University Motsepe Presidential Research Accelerator Fund for Africa

The Motsepe Presidential Research Accelerator Fund for Africa, supported by the Motsepe Foundation, empowers Harvard faculty-led teams and their collaborators to undertake innovative projects that directly address the continent’s most complex challenges and transformative opportunities. The Fund seeks to spark world-class, multidisciplinary research in areas such as emerging technologies (AI, robotics, Fourth Industrial Revolution), climate change and sustainability (its impact on health, livelihoods, agriculture, water, and sanitation), renewable energy, aging, health, materials science, as well as governance and policy for entrepreneurship.

Research projects may include scientific investigation, travel (for fieldwork or collaboration), and dissemination (publication, workshops, conferences) of impactful findings. Priority is given to proposals that:

• Tackle high-impact topics focused on Africa’s needs and potential.
• Feature meaningful collaboration with Africa-based academics or institutions, encouraging knowledge exchange, capacity building, and regional benefit.
• Are undertaken wholly or partly on the African continent strengthening local relevance and implementation.

Uniquely, the Fund encourages projects that bridge arts and humanities with STEM (STEAM), as well as multidisciplinary collaborations across Harvard Schools and with African partners. Applications can request funding for Harvard postdoctoral scholars, graduate and undergraduate students, provided they are under faculty supervision.

Funding details:

• Maximum grant is $150,000 per project, for one or two years.
• Grants are non-renewable, but a one-year extension may be allowed if progress is demonstrated.
• Funding can be used for salaries (with departmental approval), fieldwork, direct research costs, and related project implementation.
• Indirect costs are permitted up to 8% for Africa-based subcontractors.
• Budget must include only direct costs, not capital improvements or student tuition.

Eligibility and compliance:

• The lead applicant must be a Harvard faculty member with principal investigator rights (Africa-based academics can serve as formal collaborators or co-investigators).
• Strong preference for multidisciplinary proposals with Africa-based academic collaboration.
• Previous awardees can reapply for new projects if all reporting is complete; current grantees must wait until their prior cycle concludes.
• Projects must have departmental or divisional sign-off, meet all research integrity standards (including for human/animal subjects and import/export controls), and are subject to audit.
• Funds will be disbursed following award notification in March/April and signed agreements by May 2026.

South African and other Africa-based researchers are eligible as collaborators/beneficiaries through joint proposals with Harvard faculty. The application requires a concise project summary, full proposal (up to 1,000 words), budget and justification, CVs, and departmental approval.

For full instructions, visit Harvard’s application portal: https://harvard.communityforce.com
Contact: Lindsay Moats (lmoats@fas.harvard.edu)