The Association of African Universities (AAU) has announced a new opportunity for research institutions, NGOs, and consortia working at the intersection of climate change and public health. The CHINNOVA Small Grants program supports innovative, evidence-driven research that strengthens the resilience of health systems in West and Central Africa.
With up to $70,000 per project, this call could help African researchers and institutions turn bold climate-health ideas into real-world impact.
Africa is facing a growing health crisis linked to rising temperatures, extreme weather, and food insecurity. Yet, few initiatives directly fund research that connects these climate and health challenges.
CHINNOVA (Climate Change and Health Innovation Hub for West and Central Africa), established in 2024 under the Advancing Research for Climate and Health (ARCH) initiative, aims to change that.
By supporting collaborative, gender-responsive, and interdisciplinary research, the program helps local scientists, universities, and community partners generate solutions tailored to African realities.
Grant Benefits
- Funding Amount: Up to USD 70,000 per project
- Total Available Fund: USD 700,000 for 8–10 selected projects
- Project Duration: Up to 18 months (2026–2027)
- Supported Costs: Salaries, fieldwork, data collection, workshops, travel, training, equipment, and indirect costs up to 13%
Beyond funding, selected grantees gain access to CHINNOVA’s network of experts, capacity-building workshops, and peer exchange events across Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
Eligibility
To qualify, applicants must:
- Be a legally registered organization headquartered in West or Central Africa.
- Be a research institution, university, NGO with a research mandate, or public/private organization engaged in climate-health work.
- Form multi-stakeholder consortia that include both a research institution and a civil society partner.
- Demonstrate prior experience in research, sound financial management, and a commitment to ethical, gender-inclusive research practices.
Eligible countries include: Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Priority Research Areas
Applicants are encouraged to design projects addressing:
- Health systems preparedness for climate-induced shocks such as floods or heatwaves
- Climate-health data systems that improve accessibility and interoperability
- Vector- and water-borne diseases like malaria and cholera
- Gender and social equity in climate-health outcomes
- Policy and institutional innovations for integrating climate-health approaches into national frameworks
Application Timeline
- Call Opened: October 9, 2025
- Expression of Interest (optional): by October 25, 2025
- Proposal Submission Deadline: November 15, 2025 (6:00 PM GMT)
- Notification of Selected Projects: January 2026
- Project Start Date: February 2026
Tips for a Strong Application
- Be clear and concise. Clearly define your problem statement, methodology, and expected outcomes.
- Integrate gender inclusion. Highlight how your research benefits women, children, and marginalized communities.
- Show collaboration. Strong proposals often involve multi-country partnerships with diverse expertise.
- Provide realistic budgets. CHINNOVA expects budgets that reflect actual regional standards and value for money.
- Plan for ethics approval. Projects involving human participants must show compliance with local or institutional ethics boards.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online via CHINNOVA’s secure Grants Management Portal:
👉 https://grants.chinnova.aau.org
Steps:
- Register or sign in to the CHINNOVA portal.
- Select “CHINNOVA Small Grants Call” under Open Calls.
- Complete all required fields and upload your documents (proposal, budget, CVs, institutional letters).
- Review carefully and submit before the deadline.
Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.