The 2025 AWHF Moses Mapesa Research Grant application period is currently active. The African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) is proud to introduce the Moses Mapesa Research Grant, created to assist African graduate students pursuing research in natural and cultural heritage studies. This funding opportunity is designed to promote academic excellence by offering financial assistance—especially for field research activities—targeting World Heritage Sites and locations on national Tentative Lists throughout Africa. The AWHF’s goal with this program is to enhance scholarly participation and cultivate a new cohort of African professionals committed to safeguarding, preserving, and sustainably managing the continent’s valuable heritage resources.
Read more about Opportunities
Who Can Apply
Candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Be enrolled or planning to enrol in 2026 in a Doctoral or Master’s degree program (Master’s 2 for French-speaking countries) at an African institution of higher education, with dissertation research focusing on natural or cultural heritage at an African World Heritage Site or a site on a national tentative list
- Demonstrate proficiency in English, French, or Portuguese
- Hold citizenship in an African Union Member State that has ratified the 1972 World Heritage Convention
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Funding Details
Award amounts will be determined based on individual research proposals, with grants reaching up to USD Five Thousand ($5,000.00). Field research must be completed within a 9-month period following contract execution (May 2026 through February 2027). The funding will support research initiatives addressing these themes in relation to World Heritage or tentatively listed African sites:
- Traditional management and custodianship systems.
- Risk management and emergency preparedness for heritage sites.
- Heritage in conflict-affected and post-conflict contexts.
- Conservation and management of heritage sites.
- Climate change impacts on heritage.
- Heritage presentation and public interpretation.
- Economic aspects of heritage and entrepreneurial opportunities.
- Heritage’s role in sustainable development.
- Heritage promotion and public awareness initiatives.
- Legal frameworks, law enforcement, and human rights in heritage.
- Digital technologies and artificial intelligence applications in heritage.
- Questions of heritage authenticity.
- Youth engagement and intergenerational knowledge transfer in heritage.
Important: Research topics must demonstrate clear connections to World Heritage.
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Required Application Materials
Candidates must provide a complete application package containing:
The official application form (requiring a supervisor’s co-signature)
- Personal statement from the applicant (maximum 1 page).
- Current curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages).
- Documentation of course enrollment and/or university acceptance letter.
- Research proposal (maximum 2 pages) that includes:
- Complete name, university affiliation, country, degree level, research title, and associated World Heritage or tentatively listed site.
- Research overview (purpose/aims, research questions, importance, significance, rationale, parameters, and anticipated results).
- Research methods (strategy, timeline, analytical approach).
- Reference list.
- Financial plan (specify funding from all sources, clearly identifying fieldwork expenses this grant would cover, with justification for necessity).
- Budget breakdown including sources and amounts of additional funding support, if applicable.
- Applications that are incomplete or fail to meet all specified requirements will be rejected.
Submission Deadline: July 31, 2025. Click HERE to apply.
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