ACSL School Leadership Research Grants 2026
African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL) in partnership with Mastercard Foundation
Quick Facts
A word from Eli, founder of Rise Africa Scholars
MSc Information Security — Unicaf Scholar
While you wait for a fully funded opportunity, don’t put your education on hold. I completed my MSc through Unicaf — studying online from Nairobi while working full-time. The tuition discount made it genuinely affordable, and the degree is from an accredited UK university.
If you’re serious about advancing your career now, I’d encourage you to explore it. I only recommend what I’ve used myself.
About This Scholarship
The ACSL School Leadership Research Grants support African education researchers undertaking action-oriented research focused on strengthening school leadership and improving learning outcomes across the continent. A total of 23 researchers will be supported with grants worth up to US$15,000 for descriptive action research and up to US$35,000 for comparative action research over 12-24 months.
What This Scholarship Covers
- Research funding up to USD 15,000 (descriptive action research) or USD 35,000 (comparative action research)
- Membership in the School Leadership Community of Learning
- Participation in the Blended Exchange and Learning Trajectory (BELT)
- Opportunities to work with policymakers, practitioners, school leaders and implementing institutions
Who Can Apply
- 1 Must be a citizen of an African country and based in Africa
- 2 Principal Investigator must hold a Doctorate in Education, Educational Leadership, Educational Management, or closely related field earned within the past five (5) years
- 3 Research must focus on school leadership practice in one or multiple African countries
- 4 Proposals must include multidisciplinary research teams of three to five members
- 5 Proposals must adopt an action-research approach and demonstrate meaningful collaboration with practitioners and policymakers