AWHF Moses Mapesa Education and Research Grants for African Postgraduate Students (Up To USD5,000.00)

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The African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) is pleased to announce the Call for Applications for the Moses Mapesa Education and Research Grants for African postgraduate students. This inspiring opportunity is open to Master’s and Doctoral students conducting research in the field of natural and cultural heritage in Africa.

The AWHF is pleased to announce the Moses Mapesa Research Grant, established to support African doctoral and master’s students conducting research in the field of natural and cultural heritage. This grant aims to advance scholarly work by providing financial support—particularly for fieldwork-related activities—focused on World Heritage Sites and properties included on national Tentative Lists across Africa. Through this initiative, AWHF seeks to strengthen academic engagement and build a new generation of African experts dedicated to the protection, conservation, and sustainable management of the continent’s rich heritage.

Moses Mapesa Education and Research Grants Benefits

Grant amounts will vary depending on research proposals, with a maximum award of USD Five Thousand (5,000.00).

Duration

The fieldwork research needs to be conducted in no longer than 9 months from the signature of the contract (May 2026 to February 2027).

Moses Mapesa Education and Research Grants Focus Areas

The award will support research projects focused on the following topics related to a World Heritage or a tentative listed site in Africa:

Traditional (custodianship) management systems,
Heritage risk management and preparedness,
Heritage in conflict and post-conflict situations,
Heritage management and conservation,
Heritage and climate change,
Heritage presentation and interpretation,
Heritage and economics/entrepreneurship,
Heritage and sustainable development,
Heritage promotion and awareness,
Heritage, legal/police frameworks, and human rights,
Heritage and digital technologies and artificial intelligence,
Heritage and Authenticity
Heritage, Youth, and Intergenerational Knowledge Transmission

Please note that the topic has to be connected to World Heritage (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/) or tentative listed (http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/) sites in Africa. Please view the links above for a list of sites per country.

Eligibility Criteria for Moses Mapesa Education and Research Grants

The call is open to students who are:

Currently or will be registered in 2026 in a Doctoral or Master’s programme (Masters 2 for Francophone countries) at an African university and conducting dissertation research in the field of either natural or cultural heritage at an African World Heritage Site, or site listed on a national tentative list,
Fluent in English, French, or Portuguese,
Citizens of an African Union Member State which is party to the 1972 World Heritage Convention.

Grant Requirements

If a student is awarded a grant, he/she is required to submit a longer research description at the beginning of the grant (along with proof of registration for the degree) and, at the end, a final report with the research results or dissertation/thesis at the final stage as well as a financial report.
All documents must be presented in either French, English or Portuguese. The projects MUST be implemented between May 2026 and February 2027 (within 9 months).
Please note that students who do not complete the research within the contractual timeframe will be required to reimburse the grant to the AWHF.

Moses Mapesa Education and Research Grants Application Package

All applicants should submit the following application package:

The completed application form (co-signed by the supervisor);

A letter of motivation by the applicant (1 page maximum),
Applicant’s updated curriculum vitae (2 pages maximum),
Proof of course registration and /or letter of acceptance from higher learning institute or University,
Research proposal (2 pages maximum) including the following:
- Full name, affiliated university, country, degree level, title of research and related World Heritage or tentative listed site,
- Description of research (Goal/objectives, research question/s, relevance, significance, justification , scope, and expected outcomes),
- Research methodology (approach, timeframe, analysis),
- Bibliography,
- Budget (indicate funds from all sources, stating specifically the field work items this grant would be for with justifications as to the need).
- Budget that includes sources and amounts of supportive funds, if any.

Incomplete applications and applications that do not fulfill all requirements stated above will not be considered.