Small grants for researchers in Africa in the fields of early childhood development and foundational learning

There is a lack of funding for researchers in Africa, which limits the quantity of research on a variety of important education topics across the continent. The small grants initiative aims to reduce this gap by improving access to funding and resources for African researchers, with the goal of improving the quality and visibility of research on two key themes - Early Childhood Development and Foundational Learning.  To achieve this, the project will provide seed grants to early career researchers and female researchers working within and across African countries, to conduct policy-relevant research.

Grants for Early Childhood Development will be awarded across East, West, Central, and Southern Africa. Foundational Learning grants will focus on Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Zambia. Funds will also be used to move from an understanding of the challenges facing Francophone researchers in Africa to identifying solutions. Education Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA) and Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL-Cambridge) will interview and convene relevant stakeholders to understand bottlenecks in the availability of French language education research and explore initiatives to address them. This project builds on existing work by ESSA and the REAL Centre, leveraging mechanisms supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the Gates Foundation. GPE KIX contribution will increase the number of small grants awarded through pre-established application processes.

By increasing the availability and visibility of education research in Early Childhood Development and Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, particularly in French, the grantee will support the production of locally developed and context-specific research for policy, ultimately improving outcomes for young learners across Africa.