Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA) and Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) (Grant Up $15,000)
Are you a researcher based in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, or Zambia? Applications are now open for grants of up to $15,000 to support research that strengthens Foundational Learning (FL) and helps shape education policy and practice.
- These grants are part of Phase 2 of Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA) and Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre’s Foundational Learning Project, building on the success of Phase 1 to further strengthen the capacity of FL researchers across sub-Saharan Africa to inform education policy and practice.
- This initiative is supported by the Gates Foundation and the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange.
Grant amount: Up to $15,000
Eligible countries: Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Zambia
Why Foundational Learning matters:
Foundational Learning is crucial for the lifelong success of a child, as it’s at that level that children acquire all the basic literacy, numeracy and socio-emotional skills in their early years. Yet today, too many children are still missing out.
In Ghana, for example, approximately 80% of children do not attain fundamental literacy and numeracy skills by the end of primary school (UNESCO, 2022a,b); in Kenya less than 50% of Grade 3 learners meet expectations in reading English text (USAWA Agenda).
- In Senegal and Zambia, high levels of learning poverty continue to persist despite increased enrolment in schools.
- This is why investing in solutions that work in local contexts and led by local researchers is so critical.
- Together, we can ensure every child builds the strong foundation they deserve.
Why fund Foundational Learning researchers?
Investing in locally led FL research is important because it:
Responds to country-specific priorities.
Generates evidence that directly informs policy and practice.
- Reflects lived realities, experiences and classroom contexts.
- By funding African education researchers, we invest in local solutions that can transform classrooms and shape national education systems.
What we will fund:
These grants will cover direct research expenses (e.g. researcher time), research materials, data collection, designing of reports, travel for collaboration meetings and dissemination efforts.
Amount of grants:
Up to four grants will be awarded per country to individual researchers or groups of researchers, valued at up to $15,000
Eligibility criteria:
Applicants for these grants must meet the following criteria:
Be Ghanaian, Kenyan, Senegalese, or Zambian citizens currently based in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, or Zambia respectively.
- The lead applicant should have a PhD and be working in a university, research institution, or government department/ministry in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, or Zambia.
- Proposed research must focus on an area(s) identified in the individual country calls (below).
- The application and the submission of the research report should be in English or French (in the case of Senegal).
Application Deadline: Friday, 31 October 2025, 11.59pm GMT
How to Apply
Interested applicant can apply via this link
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