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. 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.
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.
Any enquiries about the scheme can be directed to cresusrf@cambridge-africa.cam.ac.uk
