Coimbra Group Scholarship Programme 2026/2027 for early-career researchers from Sub-Saharan Africa. – Scholarship Opportunities

1

Application Deadline: May 10, 2026

Applications are now open for the 2026/2027 Coimbra Group Scholarship Programme. Universities of the Coimbra Group offer short-term research visits (1-3 months maximum) to African earlycareer researchers from higher education institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. The programme aims to support
these scholars in continuing research related to their work at their home institution while fostering academic and research collaborations with scientists and institutions based in Europe.

Female candidates are encouraged to apply under this scholarship programme and will be prioritised.
The scholarships are generously funded by participating Coimbra Group member universities, while the
Coimbra Group Office manages the application process.

Participating universities
The following Coimbra Group universities are participating in the 2026 edition of this scholarship programme.

• University of Würzburg (Germany)
  Applicants must carefully review the specific conditions for each participating Coimbra Group university
• Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi (Romania)
• University of Barcelona (Spain)
• University of Bergen (Norway)
• University of Coimbra (Portugal)
• University of Cologne (Germany)
• University of Granada (Spain)
• University of Graz (Austria)
• University of Groningen (The Netherlands)
• Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany)
• Heidelberg University (Germany)
• Istanbul University (Turkey)
• Jagiellonian University in Krakow (Poland)
• University of Padova (Italy)
• University of Pavia (Italy)
• University of Poitiers (France)
• University of Salamanca (Spain)
• University of Siena (Italy)

Eligibility criteria
Applicants must fulfil ALL of the following requirements:

• Be born on or after 1 January 1981.
• Be nationals and current residents of a Sub-Saharan African country (candidates already living and/or studying in Europe will not be considered). Some host universities may restrict eligibility to applicants from specific Sub-Saharan African countries: applicants should consult the “Remarks” section of each university’s offer to confirm if their country is eligible.
• Be academic staff members of a university or equivalent higher education institution in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Preferably hold doctoral/postdoctoral or equivalent academic status.
• Obtain an acceptance letter/email from a supervisor at the host university confirming their willingness to supervise the work programme during the research stay. This document is mandatory (see more information below).
• Apply through the Coimbra Group electronic application process.
• Submit only one application to a single university. Multiple applications will not be considered valid.
• Submit all information in English.

Application process
The online application deadline is Sunday, 10 May 2026 at midnight (Brussels time). Applications must be
submitted via the Coimbra Group website: www.coimbra-group.eu/activities/scholarships.
Applicants must:

• Review the specific conditions for each participating Coimbra Group university.
• Identify and contact a research supervisor at the selected host university (e.g. via the university
  website or the indicated contact email address at the selected host institution). The Coimbra Group
  Office cannot assist in finding supervisors.
• Provide their supervisor’s name and contact details in the application form.
• Obtain a letter/email of acceptance from the supervisor confirming that the candidate has been
  accepted to carry out research under their supervision, explicitly stating their willingness to supervise the work of the candidate during the research stay.
• Upload the acceptance letter/email together with the application form.
  Applications without this proof of acceptance will not be considered. Applicants are not required to submit other documents at this stage, although host universities may request additional documentation later.

Application confirmation

• The Coimbra Group Office will acknowledge each application individually. Within two weeks of submission, candidates should receive an email from the Coimbra Group Office confirming whether their application has been validated. This will be the only acknowledgement of receipt.
• If no confirmation is received, the application may not have been submitted correctly or a technical issue may have occurred. In that case, please contact [email protected] immediately, and no later than Sunday, 24 May 2026.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Coimbra Group Scholarship Programme