Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa (PIRA)

The Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), a consortium of ten leading African universities and Michigan State University, is inviting proposals for its Partnerships for Innovative Research in Africa (PIRA) grants. As a consortium-wide initiative, the PIRA grants are a tiered funding opportunity designed to cultivate and support multidirectional and transregional research partnerships at any stage of their development, whether it be initiatives to explore and create new relationships or scale existing ones. One of the unique aspects to these grants is the expectation that organizations will establish and develop equitable partnerships from the conception to the closeout of the project among themselves and with relevant local stakeholders, involving them as appropriate throughout the project, respecting their knowledge and expertise, and taking an adaptive approach that is responsive to the local context. Proposals should outline processes to establish such partnerships. Proposed partnership activities may entail cooperative research, capacity building initiatives, outreach and/or other activities that align with AAP’s pillars, and address at least one of AAP’s priority areas, which are: agri-food systems; water, energy and the environment; culture; youth empowerment; education; and, health and nutrition.

Professional Fellows Program - Advancing Young Women in Agribusiness

The Professional Fellows Program - Advancing Women Agribusiness Entrepreneurs and Innovators hosted at Michigan State University (MSU) connects Ugandan, Tanzanian, and Kenyan agribusiness professionals and entrepreneurs with their counterparts in Michigan for knowledge exchange and capacity building. The program strengthens visiting fellows’ skills in agro-entrepreneurship and agri-food system innovation, and addresses issues of women’s economic empowerment.

Transforming Institutions Strategic Funding

The Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) seeks proposals from AAP consortium members and their partners for activities which directly address AAP's Transforming Institutions pillar (transforming institutions to be better able to participate in sustainable, equitable, and research-driven partnerships that make a broader impact on transforming lives). Successful applicants will receive seed funding to develop international strategic partnerships with universities, institutions of higher education and research, and/or organizations in the public or NGO sectors. Travel can include any of the following--within Africa, to Africa from external locations, to the US or to other locations outside of Africa. The partnerships should focus specifically on institutional strengthening and capacity development. Proposals that solely focus on research topics unrelated to institutional capacity development and do not directly address how the work contributes to institutional strengthening will not be considered.

African Futures Research Leadership Program

The Alliance for African Partnership has opened the call for proposals for our next cohort of African Futures Scholars. Applications are open until filled.

• This competitive postdoctoral program targets early career women researchers from the nine AAP member institutions
• Applicants choose an MSU faculty mentor that aligns with their research area from the list of potential mentors and indicate their preferred mentor in their application.
• Selected scholars will spend one year at Michigan State University working with mentors from their home institution and MSU
• With mentor guidance, scholars will participate in research for impact, writing of scholarly and/or policy publications, dissemination of research results and grant proposals
• Home institution mentors will spend a week at MSU, and MSU mentors will spend a week at scholars' home institution to continue research collaboration

2019 International Symposium on Global Community-Engaged Learning

Past Awardees