The African Union published a second call for proposals for its Africa research grants on 23 January.
The grants, which fund collaborative research projects seeking to promote water, energy and food security, have been allocated about €7 million (US$9m) in the second open call.
The amount is the same as that allocated in the first call, issued in January 2011. The winners of the first grant round have not yet been announced, but are likely to be revealed in February, an AU official said.
Scientists who wish to access the funding must submit proposals on any of the three themes, which also are the same as in the first call: post-harvest and agriculture, renewable and sustainable energy, and water and sanitation.
Between €500,000 and €750,000 will be given to each research project, comprising a consortium of three institutions from countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific region.
Priority will be given to consortia consisting of scientists from the eight regional economic communities recognised by the AU, including the Southern African Development Community, the East African Community and the Economic Community of West African States.
Applicants will be required to cover 20 per cent of the costs of the research projects.
The Africa Research Grants programme is one of the projects outlined in the AU’s 19 lighthouse projects, which were developed in line with the eighth partnership on science, information society and space of the European Union-Africa Joint Strategy.
EU and African heads of states adopted the joint strategy in 2007.
Applications must be posted to the Programme Management Unit, African Union Research Grant, Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology, African Union Commission, Roosevelt Street, P. O. Box 3243, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The closing date for applications is 20 April 2012.