Up to $15,000 for descriptive action research and up to $ 35,000 for comparative action research on school leadership

Are you passionate about generating evidence to strengthen school leadership and improve learning outcomes across Africa? The African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is offering grants for Descriptive and Comparative Action Research in Africa.  The grants will support 23 researchers across the continent. 

The grants aim to support rigorous, action-oriented research that addresses Africa’s school leadership challenges and contributes to national and continental education priorities. Researchers will work closely with policymakers, practitioners, school leaders, and implementing institutions to ensure that evidence informs policy, strengthens practice, and improves education systems.

Grants Overview

Application deadline: Wednesday, 30^th September 2026, 11:59 pm GMT

Grant Type and Award:

• Sixteen (16) Descriptive Action Research Grants worth up to USD 15,000 each for research conducted within a single educational context over 12 months.
•  Seven (7) Comparative Action Research Grants worth up to USD 35,000 each for research conducted across two or more educational contexts over 24 months.
• Eligible countries: All African countries

Information Webinar

An information webinar for prospective applicants will be held on 20^th August 2026 (12:00–1:30 pm GMT | 3:00–4:30 pm EAT) to provide guidance on the application process, eligibility criteria, and grant expectations.

Register for the webinar here

Who can apply

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a citizen of an African country, based in Africa, and research must focus on school leadership practice in one or multiple African countries.
• The Principal Investigator must hold a Doctorate in Education, Educational Leadership, Educational Management, or a closely related field, earned within the past five (5) years.
• Proposals must include multidisciplinary research teams of three to five members.
• Research teams are strongly encouraged to promote team diversity by including female researchers, young researchers (under 35 years) and researchers with different education levels (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees/candidates).
• Proposals must adopt an action-research approach and demonstrate meaningful collaboration with practitioners and policymakers.
• Cross-country collaborations and proposals addressing gender equality, disability inclusion, rural and underserved communities, and other marginalised groups are strongly encouraged.

Beyond receiving funding, successful researchers will join the School Leadership Community of Learning and participate in the Blended Exchange and Learning Trajectory (BELT).

Join a growing community of African researchers generating evidence that strengthens school leadership policy and practice across the continent.

Applications close at 11:59 pm GMT on Wednesday, 30th September 2026.