IFRA-Nigeria Research Grant

IFRA-Nigeria Research Grant

You get up to 1,000 EUR for a research project running from January to October 2026, so up to 10 months. The money pays for field research trips and archive visits, not a monthly salary. It is a one-off grant tied to your project, and the exact amount depends on your project and its budget. The grant comes from IFRA-Nigeria, a French public research institute based at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. Around ten projects are funded each year, run by individuals or teams.

Who can apply

• Level: You are a Master's student, PhD candidate, postdoctoral researcher or an established or independent researcher.
• Field: Your project is in the humanities or social sciences. Other subjects cannot be funded.
• Topic: Your research fits one of IFRA-Nigeria's themes: beliefs, bodies and health; citizenship, gender and mobilisation; heritage and environment; or digital humanities.
• Region: Your project focuses on one of these countries: Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Liberia, Gambia, Niger, Chad or Burkina Faso.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply. What matters is that your research covers a country in the list above.
• Language: You can apply in English or French.

How to apply

You apply online through a Google form. You submit a one-page motivation letter, a CV of up to three pages, a detailed budget and a project description of up to four pages, all in a single PDF. Selection is based on these documents, with no interview. The deadline for the 2026 round was 30 November 2025. The grant runs yearly, so watch for the next call.

How realistic are your chances?

The grant is cut narrowly. Your topic must sit in the humanities or social sciences, match one of IFRA-Nigeria's themes and focus on a specific set of West and Central African countries. That keeps the applicant pool smaller than for open research funding, and about ten projects are chosen each round. If your project clearly fits the themes and region and you present a solid budget and work plan, your prospects are realistic.