The Cambridge University Mastercard Research Fund aims to catalyze new and strengthen existing collaborations between researchers in Africa and Cambridge and support high-quality training activities.
The Climate Resilience and Sustainability Research offers a Fund Research Catalyst Grant for up to £20,000 or a Workshop Grant for up to £50,000.
Facts About the University of Cambridge
- Oldest University in the English-Speaking World: Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.
- Nobel Laureates Galore: Cambridge has produced an impressive 121 Nobel laureates, including famous names like Stephen Hawking and Jane Goodall.
- World’s Largest and Oldest Library: The Cambridge University Library is the largest and oldest library in the world, with over 15 million books and manuscripts.
- Home to the Famous Cavendish Laboratory: The Cavendish Laboratory, where J.J. Thomson discovered the electron, is located at Cambridge and has been the site of numerous groundbreaking scientific discoveries.
- Beautiful Architecture: Cambridge is renowned for its stunning architecture, including the iconic King’s College Chapel, which is considered one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the world.
- World-Leading Research: Cambridge is a world leader in research, with 97% of its research deemed “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” by the UK’s Research Excellence Framework.
- Diverse Student Body: Cambridge has a diverse student body, with students from over 150 countries worldwide.
- College System: Cambridge is unique in its college system, where students are members of both the university and a college, providing a supportive community and a range of academic and extracurricular opportunities.
- Inspiring Alumni: Cambridge has a long list of inspiring alumni, including famous names like Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, and Virginia Woolf.
- Commitment to Sustainability: Cambridge has made a commitment to reducing its environmental impact, with a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Details For Cambridge University Mastercard Research Fund for Africans
The Mastercard Foundation and University of Cambridge Climate Resilience and Sustainability Research Fund aims to catalyse new and strengthen existing collaborations between researchers in Africa and Cambridge and support high-quality training activities.
The focus of the scheme is research on climate resilience and sustainability. This focus is interpreted broadly so long as the linkage of the research to these areas can be justified in the application for the award.
Awards are made to pairs of researchers (post-doctoral and above although due consideration will be given for equivalent experience), one from an African university or research institution and one from the University of Cambridge.
Eligibility Requirements For Cambridge University Mastercard Research Fund for Africans
To be considered for the Climate Resilience and Sustainability Research Fund, the criteria involves:
- Awards are made to pairs of researchers (post-doctoral and above although due consideration will be given for equivalent experience), one from an African university or research institution and one from the University of Cambridge.
- We encourage applications from across the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts and from all academic subject areas.
- We particularly encourage innovative research. Multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research proposals and research-related training activities are welcomed.
Rewards For Cambridge University Mastercard Research Fund for Africans
- The research fund is supported by a generous £7.7million investment by the Mastercard Foundation and will run from 2025 to 2030.
- The Mastercard Foundation and University of Cambridge Climate Resilience and Sustainability Research Fund will follow an annual cycle of awards until 2029 when the award will support activities for the year 2029-30. It is anticipated that most awards will be made for activities that will take place over a 12-month period.
- In this round, applications can be made for a Research Catalyst Grant for up to £20,000 or a Workshop Grant for up to £50,000. It is anticipated that many awardees will be able to use the preliminary results from their research catalyst grant to apply for and win significant funding from other funding bodies.
Required Documents For Cambridge University Mastercard Research Fund for Africans
To apply, candidates must be ready to submit the following documents;
- Application Form
- Case for support
- An itemised budget (template provided)
- A lay summary
- A letter ofsupport from the department/faculty of the Cambridge-based PI. (For the Department
of Engineering, a letter of support from the Head of Division is needed). An email from an
institutional email account is also acceptable. - A letter of support from the department/institution of the Africa-based PI. An email from an
institutional email account is also acceptable. - CVs (maximum 2 pages) for both the Cambridge-based and Africa-based PI
- The details of two suggested referees are also required; these should be individuals who have no conflicts of interest with the applicants (e.g. they should not be from the same Department).
How To Apply For Cambridge University Mastercard Research Fund for Africans
To apply for the 2025 Cambridge University Mastercard Research Fund, interested and qualified candidates should;
- Register and complete a saveable online application form, available on the Cambridge-Africa website.
- Final submissions should include the required documents listed above.
- The deadline for submission is 21st March 2025 and applications can be submitted at any time before this.
- Any queries should be sent to cresusrf@cambridge-africa.cam.ac.uk