ARNTD Small Grants Program VIII 2026 Opens: African Researchers Can Access Up to USD 65,000 for NTD Implementation Research ·Unknown

The African Research Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ARNTD), in partnership with the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (COR-NTD), has opened applications for the Small Grants Program VIII (SGP VIII). The funding opportunity aims to strengthen African-led implementation research that contributes to the control and elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) across the continent.

Supported by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through its Global Research and Technology Development portfolio, the programme offers grants of up to USD 30,000 for early-career researchers and USD 65,000 for mid-career researchers. Applications open on 24 July 2026 and close on 24 August 2026 at 17:00 GMT.

About the ARNTD Small Grants Program VIII

The Small Grants Program VIII is designed to strengthen African leadership in operational and implementation research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The initiative supports locally led research that addresses real-world implementation challenges affecting disease control and elimination efforts while aligning with the objectives of the World Health Organization (WHO) 2030 NTD Roadmap.

The programme seeks to empower African researchers and research institutions by providing financial support, research experience, and opportunities for collaboration with national NTD programmes, policymakers, and international partners. Through this initiative, ARNTD aims to build sustainable research capacity while generating evidence that can improve public health interventions across Africa.

Grant Categories

The programme offers two funding streams designed to support researchers at different stages of their careers.

Early-Career Grants

Early-career researchers may apply for:

• Maximum funding of USD 30,000.
• Four grant awards available.
• Support for researchers and PhD students at the beginning of their research careers.

Mid-Career Grants

Mid-career researchers may apply for:

• Maximum funding of USD 65,000.
• Two grant awards available.
• Open exclusively to previous ARNTD Small Grants Programme (SGP I–VI) recipients who successfully completed their earlier projects and demonstrated excellence in implementation research.

Programme Objectives

The Small Grants Program VIII aims to strengthen Africa’s contribution to global NTD research through several strategic objectives.

These include:

• Increasing African leadership and visibility in operational and implementation research.
• Supporting locally driven research aligned with national NTD programme priorities.
• Strengthening research institutions across Africa.
• Building the research capacity of early- and mid-career scientists.
• Providing practical experience in grant writing, project management, and research implementation.
• Supporting new research questions linked to ongoing implementation research.
• Encouraging collaboration between researchers, policymakers, implementers, and local communities.
• Promoting South-South partnerships among African researchers.
• Strengthening productive North-South collaborations while maintaining African leadership and ownership of research initiatives.

Who Can Apply?

The funding opportunity is intended for outstanding African researchers affiliated with recognised research institutions or universities across the continent.

Eligible applicants include:

• Researchers based at African universities.
• Scientists working within African research institutions.
• Early-career researchers.
• PhD students beginning their research careers.
• Mid-career researchers who previously received ARNTD Small Grants (SGP I–VI) and successfully completed their funded projects.

Applicants must demonstrate that their proposed research:

• Aligns with the priorities of their country’s National Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme.
• Addresses operational or implementation challenges affecting NTD control.
• Has potential to strengthen both institutional and individual research capacity.
• Supports locally led evidence generation.

The programme also welcomes applications from qualified researchers who have experienced career breaks due to health conditions or family responsibilities.

Research Focus

Funded projects should contribute practical solutions that improve the implementation of Neglected Tropical Disease programmes.

Priority research areas include:

• Operational research.
• Implementation research.
• Programme delivery improvements.
• Disease control strategies.
• Elimination initiatives.
• Health systems strengthening.
• Community participation in research.
• Policy implementation.
• Capacity building within national NTD programmes.

Projects should directly contribute to achieving the goals outlined in the WHO 2030 NTD Roadmap.

Language Requirements

Applications are accepted in:

• English.
• French.
• Portuguese.

However, shortlisted applicants will be required to submit their full proposals and supporting documentation in English only before final funding decisions are made.

Benefits of the Programme

Successful applicants will receive more than financial support.

Benefits include:

• Research funding of up to USD 65,000.
• Opportunities to strengthen research leadership.
• Practical experience managing internationally funded research projects.
• Collaboration with national Neglected Tropical Disease programmes.
• Increased visibility within the African and global research community.
• Opportunities to build institutional research capacity.
• Enhanced networking with researchers, policymakers, and programme implementers across Africa.

Why This Opportunity Matters

Neglected Tropical Diseases continue to affect millions of people across Africa, particularly vulnerable and underserved communities. Strengthening African-led implementation research helps generate locally relevant evidence that improves disease control strategies and informs public health policy.

By investing in African scientists and institutions, the ARNTD Small Grants Program promotes sustainable research leadership while supporting innovative solutions that accelerate progress toward eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases across the continent.

The programme also provides valuable opportunities for early-career researchers to develop competitive grant-writing skills, gain project management experience, and establish themselves within the international health research community.

Application Timeline

Applicants should note the following important dates:

• Applications Open: 24 July 2026 (17:00 GMT).
• Application Deadline: 24 August 2026 (17:00 GMT).

Interested researchers are encouraged to review the detailed call guidelines for their respective funding stream before preparing and submitting their applications.

The ARNTD Small Grants Program VIII represents a significant opportunity for African researchers to secure funding for impactful implementation research while contributing to the continent’s long-term efforts to control and eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases through evidence-based, locally led solutions.

VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY

For more opportunities such as these please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and WPChannel

Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the official organization directly. Please do not send your applications & CVs to GSO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails, we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.