Coimbra Group Scholarship Programme 2026 for Sub-Saharan African Researchers

The Coimbra Group Scholarship Programme is now open for applications. Under this scheme, universities in the Coimbra Group offer short-term research visits lasting 1 to 3 months to African early-career researchers from higher education bodies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The programme supports scholars who want to continue research linked to their work at their home university while building academic and research ties with scientists and universities in Europe.

Female candidates are encouraged to apply, and they will be prioritised. Participating Coimbra Group member universities fund the scholarships, while the Coimbra Group Office manages the application process.

Who can apply

Applicants must meet all of the stated conditions.

They must be born on or after 1 January 1981. They must also be nationals and current residents of a Sub-Saharan African country. Candidates already living or studying in Europe will not be considered.

Applicants must be academic staff members of a university, or an equivalent higher education body, in Sub-Saharan Africa. They should preferably hold doctoral, postdoctoral, or equivalent academic status.

Each applicant must get an acceptance letter or email from a supervisor at the host university. The letter or email must confirm the supervisor’s willingness to supervise the work programme during the research stay. This document is mandatory.

The applicant must apply through the Coimbra Group electronic application process. Only one application to one university is allowed; multiple applications will not be treated as valid. All information must be submitted in English.

Participating universities

The following universities are taking part in the 2026 edition of the scholarship programme:

• Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, 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
• University of Wurzburg, Germany

Applicants must review the specific conditions for each participating university with care.

What applicants must do

Applicants are expected to take these steps before submitting the form.

Review the university conditions

Each person must check the specific conditions attached to the chosen Coimbra Group university.

Find a research supervisor

The applicant must identify and contact a research supervisor at the selected host university. This can be done through the university website or the contact email address listed by the host university.

The Coimbra Group Office does not help applicants find supervisors.

Get proof of acceptance

The selected supervisor must send a letter or email confirming that the candidate has been accepted to carry out research under that supervisor’s guidance. The message must also state clearly that the supervisor is willing to supervise the candidate’s work during the research Stay.

The applicant must upload that acceptance letter or email with the application form.

Applications sent without this proof of acceptance will not be considered.

Submit the application in English

All details in the application must be submitted in English. At this stage, applicants do not need to send other documents, though host universities may later request extra papers.

Country restrictions for some host universities

Some host universities may limit eligibility to applicants from specific Sub-Saharan African countries. Applicants are asked to check the “Remarks” section of each university’s offer to confirm whether their country is eligible.

Application link and deadline

Applications can be submitted through the Coimbra Group scholarship application page.

The deadline for applications is 10 May 2026.

Applicants who need more details can check the Coimbra Group scholarship information page.

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This post is authored by Olusegun Fapohunda, the founder and editor of MySchoolGist.

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