African Scholars Research Funding – J-PAL / DigiFI Africa

  • Start Date:

  • Deadline:

  • Agency:
    Africa Research Universities Alliance (ARUA)

The Office of Grants and Research (OGR), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, wishes to inform the KNUST community of a research funding opportunity under the DigiFI Africa Initiative, hosted by the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). This programme supports research on innovative digital financial systems and identification (ID) reforms, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa, in partnership with governments, NGOs, or the private sector.

Programme Highlights

  • Funder: J-PAL / DigiFI Africa

  • Funding Categories and Amounts:

    • Policy Outreach grants: up to USD 10,000

    • Proposal Development grants: up to USD 15,000

    • Pilot studies: up to USD 75,000

    • Full-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs): up to USD 400,000

  • Application Process: Rolling submissions; proposals are reviewed every few weeks.

  • Geographic Focus: Sub-Saharan Africa; partnerships with local governments, NGOs, or private sector organizations are strongly encouraged.

Eligibility

  • J-PAL Affiliates and Postdocs, as well as Invited Researchers, may apply for any funding category.

  • Resident African Scholars (PhD holders at sub-Saharan African institutions) and Non-resident African Scholars (PhD holders trained in Africa but based elsewhere) are eligible for Proposal Development grants and Pilot grants. Full RCT funding is available to those who have successfully completed a pilot funded by J-PAL.

  • PhD students under the supervision of a J-PAL affiliate or invited researcher may apply for Proposal Development grants, Pilot studies, or full-scale RCT funding up to USD 75,000.

Research Focus

  • Innovative government, private sector, and NGO payment systems

  • ID reforms and digital financial inclusion

  • Generating rigorous evidence on digital finance interventions, aligned with the DigiFI Africa framing paper

Application Instructions


For more info: https://www.povertyactionlab.org/initiative/digifi-request-proposals

This initiative provides a unique opportunity for African researchers and J-PAL affiliates to generate evidence on transformative digital finance interventions, build research capacity, and engage with policymakers and practitioners across sub-Saharan Africa.