The grant AGNES BAYER grant is funded by the BAYER Foundation, with support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH). It aims to strengthen the scientific capacity of young scholars in Africa.
The grant supports activities that form part of the applicant’s doctoral research in any sub-Saharan African country. These may include field experiments, data collection, laboratory studies and other outstanding research activities related to biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture.
Successful applicants can receive a maximum grant of EUR 7,000.
About AGNES
The African-German Network of Excellence in Science (AGNES) is a networking organisation that connects scientists and scholars in sub-Saharan Africa with scientists and scholars in Germany.
AGNES aims to support highly qualified young sub-Saharan African scientists in addressing development issues in the region through research and to increase the visibility of African researchers and Humboldt alumni.
Its programmes focus on supporting qualified young scholars and strengthening scientific capacity across sub-Saharan Africa.
What Does the Grant Support?
The grant supports doctoral research activities in:
- Biodiversity conservation
- Sustainable agriculture
- Field experiments
- Data collection
- Laboratory studies
- Other outstanding research activities forming part of the doctoral research
The proposed research must demonstrate clear relevance to the development of sub-Saharan African countries.
Who Can Apply?
The grant is open to young researchers/PhD students who meet the following requirements:
- Must be a national of a sub-Saharan African country
- Must be officially registered for a Doctoral degree at a university or tertiary institution in sub-Saharan Africa
- Must be working in biodiversity conservation and/or sustainable agriculture
- Must have published at least one scientific paper in a non-predatory journal
- Must have an outstanding academic record
- Publications should be in peer-reviewed international journals indexed in SCOPUS or Web of Science (WoS)
- Applicants must provide the SCOPUS or Web of Science links to their publications
- The proposed research must clearly demonstrate its relevance to development in sub-Saharan Africa
Only applicants who are currently enrolled in a doctoral programme are eligible. Completed PhD work will not be considered.
Required Documents
A complete application must include:
- Original research/project proposal of not more than 5 pages, written in English. It should include an outline of the proposed activities and a schedule for achieving the research objectives.
- Standard CV using the AGNES CV template, written in English.
- Official proof of registration for the doctoral degree.
- Official academic transcripts showing grades obtained during undergraduate and any postgraduate studies. If the transcript is in another language, an official explanation of the grading system must also be provided in English.
- List of published articles in non-predatory journals, including SCOPUS or Web of Science links to each publication. Applicants must also provide an e-copy of the first page of each publication showing the title, authors and abstract. The publication list and first pages must be combined into a single PDF document.
- Detailed budget for the proposed research activities.
The complete application package must not exceed 20 MB.
Grant Amount and Use
Each successful applicant can receive a maximum of EUR 7,000.
The grant is a once-off award and cannot be used to reimburse fieldwork or other research activities that have already been completed.
The grant is intended to support research activities carried out as part of the doctoral research.
After Selection
The selection meeting will take place in December 2026, after which selected candidates will be informed.
Successful applicants and their supervisors must submit a signed letter of acceptance and contractual agreement to the AGNES Governing Board within two weeks of receiving the grant offer.
Research activities are expected to begin no earlier than 11 January 2027 and no later than 31 March 2027.
After completion of the PhD, grantees and their supervisors are expected to report to AGNES on the progress and outcomes of the research, including scientific publications. The report must be submitted no later than six months after completion of the PhD.
Application Process
Applications are submitted directly by eligible junior researchers through the online application form.
All applications must be submitted in English.
Applicants should ensure that all required documents are complete and follow the specified guidelines, as incomplete applications or applications that do not follow the requirements will automatically be rejected. Late applications will not be accepted.
Deadline
16 October 2026 at 23:59 GMT
Late submissions will not be accepted.
Why Apply?
The AGNES-BAYER Research Grant provides doctoral researchers in sub-Saharan Africa with financial support to carry out important research activities in biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture.
The grant can support practical doctoral research activities such as fieldwork, data collection and laboratory studies while strengthening scientific research capacity in Africa.
