The African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL), an initiative of Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA), VVOB – Education for Development, and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), with funding from the Mastercard Foundation, has announced a major grant opportunity for African researchers.
This program is specifically designed to support the generation of high-quality, context-specific, and policy-relevant evidence on school leadership across the continent. This is a critical focus, as effective school leadership is recognized as the second-most important factor (after classroom teaching) in improving student outcomes and educational quality.
Two Tiers of High-Value Funding
The grant call is structured into two tiers, offering significant funding for African researchers based in Africa:
| Grant Type | Focus & Duration | Maximum Funding per Grant | Number of Grants (Outside Tanzania) |
| Descriptive Action Research | Focuses on deep, contextual research in one location. Duration: 12 months. | Up to $15,000 USD | 15 grants |
| Comparative Action Research | Requires a more ambitious study comparing school leadership across multiple contexts or countries. Duration: 24 months. | Up to $35,000 USD | 10 grants |
Additionally, separate grants are allocated specifically for research within Tanzania (mainland and Zanzibar), further underscoring the localized, evidence-based approach of the program.
Why this Research is Important?
Evidence reviewed by the ACSL highlighted a critical research gap: studies on school leadership are often fragmented, limited, and poorly connected to actual policy reforms. This funding aims to:
Build Local Capacity: Directly support African education researchers to produce context-specific evidence that addresses local needs, moving away from relying solely on models developed in the Global North.
Inform Policy: Ensure the research is policy-relevant, providing actionable data that ministries of education and policymakers can use to strengthen leadership development and systemic resilience.
Encourage Collaboration: Strongly encourage proposals that involve collaboration with early-career researchers, include women researchers, and involve practitioners (like head teachers), ensuring the research reflects lived realities.
Eligibility and Deadline
Who is Eligible: African researchers based in Africa with a PhD (or experienced researchers demonstrating a strong track record) and affiliated with an African university, research institution, or government department/ministry.
Encouraged: Proposals demonstrating geographical diversity and/or multi-institutional collaboration across African countries are strongly encouraged.
Application Deadline: The deadline for applications is Sunday, 11th January 2026 at 11:59 pm GMT.
Researchers interested in shaping the future of education, from primary school to secondary school and beyond should register for the upcoming webinar to get detailed guidance on the priority themes and application process.
For more information, visit here