The Moses Mapesa Research Grant 2025 offers up to US $5,000 in support for African Master’s and PhD students conducting fieldwork on natural or cultural heritage at UNESCO World Heritage or Tentative List sites across Africa. Whether your focus is climate resilience, traditional custodianship, heritage in conflict zones, or the intersection of heritage with technology and sustainability, the key to a strong application lies in showcasing a clear, well-grounded research vision tied to a specific heritage site. Review the list of UNESCO-recognized or Tentative List sites, choose one that resonates with your academic and personal interests, and build your research proposal around a tangible challenge or gap that requires investigation.
To craft a compelling research proposal, begin with a concise yet powerful motivation letter that highlights your academic background, your connection to the region or site, and your dedication to preserving its heritage. Follow up with a structured research proposal—no longer than two pages—that outlines your objectives, research questions, methodology, timeline, and budget. Use specificity: state what methods you’ll use during fieldwork, how long you’ll spend at each site, and what outcomes you aim to achieve. In the budget section, break down costs related to travel, materials, and any needed local partnerships, and demonstrate how the grant funding will enable this critical fieldwork. Incomplete proposals or unexplained budgets are usually filtered out early on, so clarity and structure matter greatly.
Selecting the right supervisor and referee can strengthen your application considerably. Obtain the grant application form and have it co-signed by your academic supervisor to affirm their support. A well-rounded CV—limited to two pages—should emphasize previous research, heritage-related work, publications or presentations, and any field experience. Academic transcripts or letters of enrollment are essential to establish your enrollment status in a Master’s or Doctoral program at an African university, and up to three languages (English, French, Portuguese) are acceptable for all your documents.
Adhering to the grant’s strict 9-month timeframe—from May 2026 to February 2027—is vital. Show in your narrative that you have a realistic schedule and local support in place to complete fieldwork efficiently. Fund recipients must submit both an interim project description and, later, a final research report and financial accounting. Missing these deadlines could result in having to refund the grant, so applicants should demonstrate rigorous project planning from day one.
The selection committee will evaluate your eligibility, the quality of your application package, and the relevance of your proposal, while also striving for geographic and linguistic diversity. To reinforce your bid, consider reaching out to past winners or advisors familiar with heritage research grants to review your drafts. Highlighting how your work will benefit not just UNESCO records but local communities, authorities, or heritage site managers can be especially powerful.
Finally, don’t delay. The grant window closes on 31 July 2025, and late submissions will not be considered. Applicants should aim to finalize documents well ahead of the deadline, double-check for completeness, and ideally seek feedback from a mentor or peer. With thorough preparation, a focused site-based research narrative, and a clearly justified budget, you can position yourself as a competitive scholar devoted to Africa’s cultural and natural legacy.
The European Fund for Youth Action on Pollinators offers an exciting chance for individuals and youth-led initiatives across Europe to make a real difference in protecting bees, butterflies, and other vital pollinators. With grants of up to €1,500, this opportunity aims to support creative, community-driven campaigns that raise awareness, restore pollinator habitats, and inspire broader environmental stewardship. It is ideal for young activists, students, artists, gardeners, or educators who are passionate about biodiversity and ready to turn that passion into action.
To create a winning application, start by outlining your project in a way that highlights both creativity and feasibility. Describe an activity—such as creating pollinator-friendly gardens in urban spaces, organizing community art installations that educate the public, or hosting workshops in schools—that directly engages people and promotes conservation. Detail practical steps, including how you’ll secure volunteers, source native plants or materials, and measure your success through measurable results like flower bed conversions or participation rates. A well-defined project with clear goals and expected impact will immediately resonate with reviewers.
Connecting your project to local context is important. Talk about why pollinator loss matters in your region—perhaps there’s a decline in local bee populations or a lack of green spaces in your city. Demonstrate that you understand specific challenges and tailor your proposal accordingly. Describe how your project will address those challenges in a hands-on, community-focused way that involves people from multiple backgrounds. A strong emphasis on inclusion and collaboration will add depth to your proposal and help ensure sustainability once the funding ends.
Since this grant is designed for youth action, spotlight your personal motivation and capacity to lead. Convey what inspired you to care about pollinators—maybe a community garden you helped start or an environmental class you attended. Show how your previous civic engagement, volunteer work, or even personal hobbies have prepared you to manage this initiative. Highlight qualities such as resourcefulness, communication skills, and the dedication needed to see a project through. Your initiative should come across as both genuine and well-prepared.
It’s also worth considering creative ways to extend the reach of your project. If you have access to social media or local media outlets, plan how you will amplify your story to educate and inspire a wider audience. Consider collaborating with local schools, environmental clubs, farmers’ markets, or urban gardening groups. Partnerships like these not only strengthen your application but also build lasting networks that support further pollinator-friendly work.
Preparation is key: gather quotes or expressions of interest from potential collaborators, and ensure you can reliably source materials like local wildflower seeds or pollinator plants. Write clearly and vividly in your proposal, avoiding jargon and making sure your vision is easy to understand and picture. Finally, proofread carefully, and if possible share a draft with a mentor or peer for feedback. Attention to detail in your application reflects your professionalism and commitment.
By combining a focused plan, local awareness, personal dedication, and creative outreach strategies, you can position your project as a strong contender for the European Fund for Youth Action on Pollinators. If your goal is to protect biodiversity, engage your community, and spark meaningful change for these essential species, this grant could be your catalyst. With clear communication and thoughtful preparation, you can turn your pollinator-focused idea into a funded reality.
