The HERI Africa programme, through the Language Education Research Chair at Kisii University, invites applications for the 2026/2027 Postgraduate Scholarships in Foundational Literacy.
HERI Africa is a Pan-African initiative dedicated to revitalising Africa-led, university-based education research. The programme aims to strengthen education research systems that produce credible, relevant evidence to inform policy, improve practice, and enhance learning outcomes across the continent.
The scholarships support Master’s and PhD students whose research will advance foundational literacy in Africa.
Research Areas
Applicants are encouraged to develop research aligned with one or more of the following themes:
- Mother-Tongue and Bilingual Literacy
- Teacher Mentorship and Coaching
- Home and Community Engagement
- EdTech and AI Integration
- Communities of Practice (CoPs)
- Pedagogy and Teacher Education
Scholarship Benefits
Successful applicants will receive:
- Monthly student stipend
- Research funding to support fieldwork and thesis development
- Conference participation and publication support
- Academic supervision from experienced subject matter experts
Women and persons living with disabilities (PWDs) are strongly encouraged to apply.
Key Dates
- Application deadline: 14 August 2026
- Notification of successful applicants: 24 August 2026
- Programme commencement: September 2026
Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the full call for detailed information on eligibility requirements, application procedures and supporting documentation.
Download the full call for applications to learn more and start your application here HERI Call for applications for Postgraduate scholarship Final 2026!.pdf
I am Akampwera Aloyzius from Uganda. I have interest in a Doctorate. I request to know if the scholarship is open to applicants from outside Kenya.
Dear Akampwera Aloyzius,
Thank you for your interest in the Doctorate scholarship opportunity.
At the moment, the scholarship is open only to applicants from Kenya. However, plans are underway to expand the opportunity to other countries across Africa in the future.
We appreciate your interest and encourage you to stay connected for updates on future opportunities.
Good afternoon, my name is Florence Otieno a teacher at TRCS Nairobi. I heard about this organization from my director and for a number of years I’ve always wanted to do my master and strongly believe that this is a good thing for me because im trained in early years of education and for eight years I was teaching the three year olds. I also taught the lower primary for five years though now I’m teaching the upper primary mainly grade four.
I would really be grateful if you consider my request for the scholarship.
Good afternoon Florence,
Thank you for reaching out and for sharing your experience and interest in pursuing your Master’s degree. It is encouraging to hear about your commitment to education and your experience working with learners across different levels.
We hope you were able to apply for the relevant scholarship opportunity. We wish you the very best in the application process.
Please be assured that our selection process is fair and competitive, and every application received is given careful attention and consideration.
In case you are not successful on this occasion, we encourage you to continue looking out for other opportunities that we will be advertising in the future. We appreciate your interest and wish you all the best in your academic journey.
Hello, I hope you’re doing well. I would like to kindly inquire if there will be another opportunity to apply for or be considered for a scholarship in masters programs through your organization. I would be very grateful if you could let me know when the next scholarship opportunity will be available.
Hello Lornah,
Thank you for reaching out and for your interest in scholarship opportunities through our organisation.
We encourage you to stay on the lookout for more opportunities that may be coming up. As we continue to promote and support Africa-led research, we anticipate that more opportunities are likely to become available in the future.
We appreciate your interest and wish you all the best. Please keep following our platforms for updates on new opportunities.
Masters in Linguistics
Hello Job,
Thank you for reaching out and for your interest in pursuing a Master’s in Linguistics.
We hope you were able to submit your application for the Foundation Literacy scholarship if this was the opportunity you were seeking clarification about.
If you did not apply and this is what you were seeking to know, we encourage you to keep an eye out for future opportunities that we will be advertising.
We wish you all the best in your academic journey.
Hello! I’m Chacha Nyaigoti Bichang’a, a Lecturer at Garissa University, and working on “Speaker Preferences and Their Implications on the Ilwana language of Tana River, Kenya”. I’ve learnt of this application a bit late after the deadline. I would to know of I can still apply for the scholarship. Thanks.
Hello Chacha,
Thank you for reaching out and for sharing your research interest in the Ilwana language of Tana River, Kenya.
Unfortunately, the call for applications has already closed, and we are unable to accept applications after the deadline. Our scholarship opportunities are competitive, and we appreciate your interest in this opportunity.
However, missing out on this call should not discourage you. We look forward to more calls in the future as we continue to support and promote Africa-led research.
We encourage you to keep an eye on our platforms for future opportunities and apply when the next call opens. We wish you all the best with your research.
Hello, will there be another opportunity for this scholarship now that this passed me? I would really wish to be one of those considered.
Hello Caesther,
Hello,
Thank you for reaching out and for your interest in the scholarship opportunity.
Unfortunately, this particular call has already closed. However, missing out on this opportunity should not discourage you. We look forward to more calls in the future as we continue to support and promote Africa-led research.
We encourage you to keep an eye on our platforms for future opportunities and apply when the next call opens. We wish you all the best and hope to receive your application in a future call.