Current funding opportunities
These lists provide the UCT research community with information regarding internal and external grants and awards, NRF funding opportunities and more.
- Internal Funding Opportunities & Awards Nominations
- External Funding Opportunities & Awards Nominations (non-NRF)
- NRF Funding & Grants
- Other Opportunities & Notices
New funding opportunities are sent out via the Research Announcement newsletter every second week: Subscribe here.
- For specific Faculty of Health Sciences funding opportunities and related events, visit the FHS Research Noticeboard.
- For specific Postdoctoral Research Fellowship current and archived grant and funding calls, visit the PDRF Fellowships Noticeboard.
- For specific Postgraduate funding calls, visit the Postgraduate degree funding noticeboard.
To submit an opportunity, or for archived calls or any queries, contact researchvisibility@uct.ac.za.
Internal Funding Opportunities & Awards Nominations
Notice | Contact person(s) | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| EthicsLab webinar series, academic retreats, academic residencies and catalyst grants | ethicslab@uct.ac.za | 30 September 2026 |
| UCT Enabling Grant Seeker Excellence Awards (EGSE) 2026 | Lezette.Daniels@uct.ac.za | 15 October 2026 |
| URC Start-up Grant | ResearchFunding@uct.ac.za | 10 November 2026 |
For more information visit internal funding opportunities or contact Research Support Services.
External Opportunities & Awards Nominations (non-NRF)
| Funding opportunity | Contact person(s) | UCT Intention to submit deadline | Funder Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Academy Knowledge Frontiers: International Interdisciplinary Research Projects 2027 | Faculty of Health Sciences: FHS.ResearchFunding@uct.ac.za All other faculties: InternationalGrants@uct.ac.za | 7 October 2026 | |
| Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Global Scholars Program 2027-2029 | Faculty of Health Sciences: FHS.ResearchFunding@uct.ac.za All other faculties: InternationalGrants@uct.ac.za | 4 November 2026 | |
| African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme (ACEP) Infrastructure Linked Funding Instrument 2027 - 2029 | Natalie.LeRoux@uct.ac.za | 25 September 2026 | 13 October 2026 |
| Climate Intervention Environmental Impact Fund (CIEIF) - Sixth Grant Round | InternationalGrants@uct.ac.za | 20 October 2026 | 1 December 2026 |
| Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026-2027: Africa Initiative IV | InternationalGrants@uct.ac.za | --- | Various |
Recurring funding opportunities | ||
|---|---|---|
In June 2026, Wellcome released a new submission policy for their Discovery, Early Career and Career Development opportunities. They are always open, without deadlines. Applicants can submit applications at any time. We suggest allocating 10-12 weeks to prepare a competitive proposal for these opportunities. If you would like to submit a proposal, please start with the UCT Intention to submit form. The appropriate team from the Research Office or the Faculty of Health Sciences will be in touch.
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| Important info on internal deadlines | ||
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Pivot-RP offers a comprehensive, user-friendly tool to explore funding from international and national funding agencies, private foundations, non-profits, and others. Read more.
NRF Funding & Grants
Application categories | Funding programme | Contact person(s) | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
General Research Grants
| SGCI Multilateral Research Call advancing Africa’s Science, Technology, and Innovation priorities | t.ngomane@risa.nrf.ac.za | Deadline for expression of interest: 25 September 2026, 23:59 EDT |
| SASUF+ Beyond Borders Seed Funding | Robyn.Udemans@uct.ac.za | 3 November 2026 |
Non-funding opportunity/Ratings/Awards | currently none | ||
International Research and Mobility Grants
| Trans-Atlantic Platform (T-AP) Call on Preparing for Tomorrow (P4T) & Annex | Robyn.Udemans@uct.ac.za | Internal deadline (NRF application): 1 October 2026 Full proposal: 28 October 2026 |
| SA/Wallonia-Brussels Federation science and technology research collaboration | Robyn.Udemans@uct.ac.za | Internal deadline: 19 October 2026 Closing date: 5 November 2026 | |
Travel, Training and Conference Grants | currently none |
Other opportunities & notices
Notice | Contact person(s) | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Honorary Research Associate notice | Research Funding | none |
New funding opportunities are sent out via the Research Announcement newsletter, every second week: Subscribe here.