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Funding callLife sciences · United Kingdom

Royal Society Africa Prize 2027 – nominations

The Royal Society Africa Prize recognises senior African-citizen scientists based in Africa who make innovative contributions to the biological or physical sciences and to capacity building, with a £15,000 research grant plus a £2,000 personal gift. This guide covers research areas consistent with the prize, eligibility and readiness checks, what selection committees typically value and how to prepare a nomination, which opens on 30 November 2026, before the 26 February 2027 deadline.

Pubrica InsightsEditorial team, reviewed by a subject specialist
Next deadline
26 February 2027
Last checked
10 November 2026
Funder
The Royal Society
Sources
1
Apply through the official call

Key dates

Application deadline
26 February 2027
Details last checked
10 November 2026
Apply through the official call

About the call

Funder
The Royal Society
Country
United Kingdom
Scheme type
Prize
Funding
£15,000 research grant plus £2,000 personal gift
Eligibility
Senior African-citizen scientists based in Africa making innovative contributions to the biological or physical sciences and to capacity building; nominations open 30 Nov 2026, no self-nomination.
Scope
Life sciences

Topics consistent with the call

  • Biological sciences research addressing African health or environmental challenges
  • Physical sciences research with applications in energy, materials or technology
  • Agricultural research supporting food security across the continent
  • Infectious disease and public health research
  • Environmental and earth sciences in African contexts
  • Capacity building in science through training and mentorship

Based on the published scope; the official page sets out the full themes and requirements.

Is your work a fit? Check before you apply

  1. Confirm that the nominee is an African citizen based in Africa at a senior career stage.
  2. Check that the work is in the biological or physical sciences.
  3. Document the nominee’s contribution to scientific capacity building as well as research.
  4. Note that self-nomination is not accepted and confirm nomination rules in the official guidance.
  5. Submit a complete, institutionally approved nomination before 26 February 2027.

Why This Funding Call Matters

Strong research systems in Africa depend on scientists who both produce excellent research and train the next generation. Recognising such individuals highlights their contribution and supports further work through the accompanying research grant. For nominators, the prize is an opportunity to bring a colleague’s achievements to international attention and to underline the importance of capacity building alongside scientific discovery across the continent.

Who Should Apply

Academic backgrounds

  • Biological sciences
  • Physical sciences
  • Agricultural sciences
  • Health and biomedical research
  • Environmental sciences

Institutions and sectors

  • African universities
  • African research institutes and centres
  • National academies of science

What Reviewers Typically Value

  1. Innovative research contributions in the biological or physical sciences.
  2. Substantial and sustained contributions to building scientific capacity in Africa.
  3. Evidence of influence through students trained, programmes established or partnerships built.
  4. Recognition by peers of the nominee’s scientific leadership.

Ideas You Could Develop

Leader in malaria research and trainingA nomination for a scientist who advanced understanding of malaria transmission and established a postgraduate training programme.
Physicist building materials research capacityA nomination highlighting research on solar energy materials and the creation of a regional laboratory network.
Plant scientist strengthening crop researchA nomination for work on crop resilience combined with mentorship of early-career researchers across the region.

Your Plan to the Deadline

A suggested schedule working back from 26 February 2027. Adjust it to the stage your work has reached.

  1. By 1 Jan 2027

    Read the call documents; confirm eligibility, budget limits, assessment criteria and institutional requirements.

  2. By 15 Jan 2027

    Agree the research question, aims, team and partners; contact your research office.

  3. By 29 Jan 2027

    Draft the case for support, methods, impact and budget.

  4. By 12 Feb 2027

    Obtain internal review, letters of support and institutional sign-off.

  5. By 21 Feb 2027

    Final checks against the funder’s guidance and formatting rules.

  6. By 26 Feb 2027

    Submit through the funder’s system before the deadline.

What you gain

  • Funding for the research, team and resources it needs.
  • Recognition from a competitive, peer-reviewed process.
  • Reviewer feedback that strengthens future applications.
  • A track record for larger grants and fellowships.

What happens after you apply

  1. Eligibility check: the funder confirms the application meets the call rules.
  2. Peer review: external reviewers assess the proposal against the published criteria.
  3. Panel: a committee ranks proposals; some schemes include an interview.
  4. Decision: outcomes are released on the funder’s timetable.
  5. Award: successful applicants agree terms and reporting requirements before starting.

What the Funder Are Looking For

The Royal Society is looking for nominations of senior African-citizen scientists based in Africa whose innovative work in the biological or physical sciences is matched by contributions to capacity building. Strong nominations typically document both research achievements and evidence of training, mentorship or institution-building. Eligibility, nomination procedures and required documents should be confirmed on the official Royal Society Africa Prize page.

Read the official pageThis guide summarises the opportunity. Confirm deadlines, eligibility and requirements on the official page before you plan your work, and record the date you checked it.Open the official page

Expert help

How Pubrica Can Help

Pubrica’s subject specialists can help you prepare a competitive proposal, planned back from the deadline. You remain the author of your work.

Grant writingProposal writing structured to the funder’s guidance and assessment criteria. Literature review and gap analysisThe evidence base and the gap your proposal addresses. Study designStudy design and methods that reviewers can assess. Statistical analysis planSample size and analysis plans for the proposal. Data management planData management and sharing plans to funder requirements. Proposal editingEditing of the full proposal for clarity and consistency.
Go to the official page

FAQs

Questions Researchers Ask

The next published deadline is 26 February 2027. Dates can change, so confirm them on the official page before you plan your work.

The prize description refers to contributions to both science and capacity building, so a nomination is likely to be stronger when it documents both. Check the Royal Society Africa Prize page for the full criteria before preparing the nomination.

Senior African-citizen scientists based in Africa making innovative contributions to the biological or physical sciences and to capacity building; nominations open 30 Nov 2026, no self-nomination. Confirm the full eligibility rules in the call documents.

Yes. Pubrica’s specialists can review, write, edit and format your proposal. You remain the author and the person responsible for the submission.

Sources

  1. The Royal Society. (2026). Royal Society Africa Prize 2027 – nominations. Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://royalsociety.org/medals-and-prizes/africa-prize/

How to cite this page

Pubrica Insights. (2026). Royal Society Africa Prize 2027 – nominations. Pubrica. https://pubrica.com/insights/calls-and-conferences/royal-society-africa-prize-2027-nominations/

  • Royal Society
  • Africa Prize
  • Capacity building
  • Nominations
  • African science

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Royal Society Africa Prize 2027 – nominationsNext deadline 26 February 2027

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