This Call invites research organisations to deep dive into 3 priority chapters from the ‘State of Africa-Europe Report 2024’, specifically the chapters on:
• Sustainable Finance;
• Climate and Development;
• Science, Education, and Culture.
The Call will serve to establish an “Africa-Europe Research Consortium”, consisting of research organisations from Africa and Europe, including think tanks, research institutes, universities as well as CSOs/NGOs and social enterprises with proven track record in research and policy.
The purpose is to implement the AEF research programme through a collaborative process that will generate the evidence needed to identify obstacles and opportunities that can strengthen Africa-Europe Partnership. This includes providing evidence that can help implement existing areas of AU-EU commitments and identifying strategic topics which offer the most promise today for win/win partnerships between Africa and Europe.
Ensuring geographic and thematic balance, the research organisations from both continents will support the AEF’s work through high quality research and data analysis to take stock of knowledge and provide new evidence in specific fields, identify policy engagement pathways, and explore innovative solutions to major challenges in key thematic areas, emphasizing opportunities for deepening Africa-Europe engagement.
Purpose of the research programme
The AEF research programme will deep dive into priority themes of the ‘State of Africa-Europe Report 2024’ (‘Sustainable Finance’, ‘Climate-Development’, ‘Science, Education, and Culture’).
The purpose is to bring impactful research to the policies taking renewed shape for a strengthened Africa-Europe Partnership (in anticipation of the next AU-EU Summit in 2025) and to develop robust knowledge products with the facts, figures and 360 degrees analysis which can identify obstacles and opportunities to accelerate the implementation of existing policy/financial commitments.
The proposed Africa Europe Research Consortium will implement a collaborative research programme designed to bring together African and European research institutions to generate evidence and contribute to policy monitoring and development that takes a unique Africa-Europe lens which builds on the historical ties and recognises strengths that Africa-Europe stakeholders bring to the Partnership. It will leverage AEF’s growing standing as a knowledge organisation and its ongoing efforts to produce evidence from and for both continents, strengthening policy advocacy and monitoring the implementation of commitments made through the AU-EU partnership.
To this end, AEF launches this Call for Proposals to identify organisations that will form the Research Consortium and take part in the Africa-Europe Research Partnership that will operate over an initial 18-month period, from July 2024 to December 2025, based on an agreed workplan specifying the main thematic areas and key research outputs. The workplan shall be reviewed at 6-month intervals to ensure validity.
- Download the Call for Proposals 2024 “Establishing an Africa-Europe Research Partnership” guidelines for grant applicants here.
- View the related content for all relevant application documents.
- Deadline for submission of the Application 23rd May 2024 (17:00 Brussels, 18:00 Addis Ababa) and must be sent to
Research@AfricaEuropeFoundation.org - The Call for Proposals for Africa – Europe Research Partnership is funded by the European Union.