Early-career researchers in Africa and Europe have until August 31, 2026, to apply for a new cross-continental fellowship designed to turn academic research into practical, community-facing solutions.

The Africa-Europe Innovation Platform (AEIP) has opened applications for its Scholars Programme 2026–2027, a research collaboration initiative built around the AU-EU Innovation Agenda’s “Capacities for Science” action. The programme is structured to pair scholars from both continents so they can co-develop research that addresses shared development challenges, rather than working in isolation on parallel academic tracks.

How the programme is structured

Ten scholars will be shortlisted at the outset and matched into five Africa-Europe pairs, based on shared or complementary research interests. Each pair is expected to move beyond a purely academic output and design a solution-oriented innovation grounded in their combined research — one that is reviewed by a panel of experts and defended through a pitching process, rather than submitted as a conventional paper.

Proposals will be judged on their impact on women and youth, their potential to strengthen communities and institutions, the robustness of the proposed solution model, the extent to which the approach is technology-driven, and how feasible it is to implement. The three highest-scoring pairs will be named finalists and sponsored to present their joint work at the AEIP Stakeholder Meeting in Europe in June 2027.

Who qualifies

Eligibility is fairly specific. Applicants must be between 25 and 35 years old, based in Africa or Europe, and currently enrolled in a PhD, postdoctoral position, or equivalent advanced study. They also need an ongoing or completed research project, thesis, or dissertation that aligns with the Capacities for Science…