Scholarships, grants and fellowships for Kenyan applicants 2027

Twenty-five open calls that accept applicants from Kenya close between 29 September and 6 October 2026. That is a window of eight days. Spend it on the calls that match your level, field and experience, and check each closing hour against Nairobi time.

What Kenyans can apply for before 6 October

The 25 calls include 11 fellowships, four scholarships, four grants, two competitions, two training programmes, one conference and one traineeship, from 23 different funders. Ten accept PhD candidates, six accept master's applicants and eight have no level requirement at all.

Start with eligibility. Three calls name Kenya in their country list: UNESCO Japan Young Researchers Fellowships Programme (closed), UNU Migration Management Diploma Programme in the Netherlands (closed) and Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed). Four more are limited to Africa or part of it, and three target developing countries. The other 15 accept every nationality, so there you compete with applicants from everywhere.

Graduates with a first degree. FrieslandCampina Global Traineeship 2027 for Graduates (closed) lasts 36 months across the Netherlands and Malaysia and takes fluent English speakers in business, economics or computer science. Its listed start date is 1 March 2027.

Master's and PhD applicants. World Bank Group Young Professionals Program 2027 (closed) is open at both levels but asks for two years of experience and an excellent command of spoken and written English. For a doctorate already under way, a short paid stay abroad fits well. UNU-WIDER Visiting PhD Fellowship in Helsinki with EUR 2,100 a month (closed) runs for three months for economists and social scientists, with a travel grant and medical insurance on top of the stipend. AfricaLics PhD Visiting Fellowship 2027 in South Africa (closed) pays about USD 600 a month plus travel, insurance and accommodation for three months. Under Senckenberg Global Fellowships in Germany for Global South researchers (closed), PhD students receive EUR 1,600 a month and postdocs EUR 2,700.

Postdocs and senior professionals. Africa Institute Fellowships 2027 in Sharjah for African studies (closed) offers a 12-month placement in the humanities, social sciences or arts. Bayreuth Academy Fellowships in African Studies, Germany (closed) has 15 places. AIAS Visiting Fellowships 2027: Unsalaried Research Visits in Denmark (closed) expects you to bring your salary from your home institution. Getty Conservation Guest Scholars Program in the USA (closed) pays USD 21,500 for a three-month residency to professionals with seven years of experience. Software Sustainability Institute Fellowship Programme 2027 (closed) runs for 15 months in the United Kingdom for computing professionals.

Anyone with a project or a story. Giving Joy Grant for Community Projects Worldwide (closed) pays up to USD 500. IDP IELTS Future Award 2026 with six prizes of USD 5,000 (closed) asks you to tell your story, Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 for AI tools that act on research (closed) offers up to GBP 25,000 that can be split between recipients, and TANGO2 Research Foundation TDD Research Pathways Grant (closed) gives up to USD 15,000 for health research at any stage from undergraduate to postdoc.

Fully funded options in deadline order

AfriWay labels a scholarship fully funded only when it pays both tuition and a living stipend. Three calls on this list meet that test.

First to close is Adelaide University Research Scholarships in Australia. The step due on 30 September 2026 is an expression of interest, not the full application. The award waives 100% of tuition, pays a living allowance and includes insurance for master's and PhD study in Australia, in arts and design, public policy, agriculture, health or environment. The listed duration is 48 months.

Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed) closes at 11:00 UTC on 6 October 2026, which is 14:00 in Nairobi. It is the only one of the three that names Kenya on its country list. It pays tuition and a stipend for a one-year master's in the United Kingdom in any subject, and it asks for at least two years of work experience.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars 2027: Fully Funded Graduate Study at Stanford (closed) closes later that day, at 1:00 pm Pacific Time or 23:00 in Nairobi. It funds up to three years of any graduate degree at Stanford, covering tuition and fees, a stipend for living and academic costs, and one economy-class return trip a year.

Three more calls cover close to every cost of taking part. Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarships 2027 (closed) offers seven awards for doctoral study in Canada, with full support for tuition, travel, housing, food, books and other expenses. UNU Migration Management Diploma Programme in the Netherlands (closed) pays flights, accommodation, visa fees, meals, daily living costs, health insurance and field trips for its three months, from 5 April to 24 June 2027. At IRENA Youth Forum 2027 in Abu Dhabi: fully funded places for young energy leaders (closed), up to 40 applicants aged 35 or under get travel, accommodation and visa support.

Calls limited to Africa, East Africa or developing countries

None of the 25 calls is reserved for Kenya alone. The closest thing to an East African call is SEWA Grants 2026 for Early Warning Projects in Africa (closed), open to West, Central, East and Southern Africa for environment and climate work at any level. Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarships 2027 (closed) covers Sub-Saharan Africa.

Two calls accept every African country. Health Innovation Hub (H2i) Pitch Perfect Africa Fellowship (closed) runs remotely and backs health ventures: three will each receive CAD 5,000 to keep developing their work. Photographers can enter 20th SEARCA Photo Contest 2026: USD 1,000 top prize for food-system photos (closed), where second place wins USD 800 and each entry must give its details in English.

Kenyan applicants also qualify for the three calls aimed at developing countries. AfricaLics PhD Visiting Fellowship 2027 in South Africa (closed) suits doctoral work in economics, social sciences, environment, agriculture or engineering. World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp 2026 for Public Officials (closed) is built for public-sector teams: it funds international travel and accommodation for two selected team members, and its sessions in South Korea, from 7 to 11 December 2026, run in English with interpretation support. Senckenberg Global Fellowships in Germany for Global South researchers (closed) completes the three.

Finally, UNESCO Japan Young Researchers Fellowships Programme (closed) is the third call that names Kenya. It pays a lump sum of up to USD 10,000 for an approved research stay in Japan, covering travel, accommodation, medical insurance and living costs. Tuition, equipment, publication costs and conferences are excluded, unless a conference is an integral part of the research. Ten fellowships are available and the age limit is 40.

Deadlines closest first, in Nairobi time

Kenya stays on East Africa Time (EAT), three hours ahead of UTC, all year. A European or American evening deadline often falls after midnight in Nairobi, so the list gives the Nairobi time wherever a funder states an hour.

• 29 September: Health Innovation Hub (H2i) Pitch Perfect Africa Fellowship (closed) at 23:59 Eastern Time (06:59 on 30 September in Nairobi).
• 30 September: UNESCO Japan Young Researchers Fellowships Programme (closed) at midnight Paris time. Read as the start of the day, that is 01:00 in Nairobi, so finish on 29 September.
• 30 September: SEWA Grants 2026 for Early Warning Projects in Africa (closed) at 14:00 CEST (15:00 in Nairobi), 20th SEARCA Photo Contest 2026: USD 1,000 top prize for food-system photos (closed) at 23:59 GMT+8 (18:59), Africa Institute Fellowships 2027 in Sharjah for African studies (closed) at 23:59 Gulf time and IRENA Youth Forum 2027 in Abu Dhabi: fully funded places for young energy leaders (closed) at midnight Abu Dhabi time (both 22:59), and UNU-WIDER Visiting PhD Fellowship in Helsinki with EUR 2,100 a month (closed) at 23:59 UTC+3, which is Nairobi time.
• 30 September: World Bank Group Young Professionals Program 2027 (closed) at 23:59 UTC (02:59 on 1 October in Nairobi).
• 30 September, no hour given: Adelaide University Research Scholarships in Australia, Giving Joy Grant for Community Projects Worldwide (closed) and FrieslandCampina Global Traineeship 2027 for Graduates (closed).
• 1 October: Senckenberg Global Fellowships in Germany for Global South researchers (closed) at 12 pm CEST (13:00 in Nairobi), UNU Migration Management Diploma Programme in the Netherlands (closed) at 23:59 CEST (00:59 on 2 October) and Getty Conservation Guest Scholars Program in the USA (closed) at 17:00 Los Angeles time (03:00 on 2 October).
• 1 October: Mastercard Foundation Doctor of Public Health Scholarships 2027 (closed) at 23:59 EST, Toronto time. Toronto is seven hours behind Nairobi in early October, so treat 06:59 on 2 October as your limit.
• 2 October: AfricaLics PhD Visiting Fellowship 2027 in South Africa (closed) at 23:00 East Africa Time, IDP IELTS Future Award 2026 with six prizes of USD 5,000 (closed) at 23:59 in your local time of residence, and World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp 2026 for Public Officials (closed) with no hour given.
• 2 October: TANGO2 Research Foundation TDD Research Pathways Grant (closed) at 17:00 EST, which is midnight or 01:00 in Nairobi depending on whether summer time applies. Submit by the evening of 2 October.
• 5 October: Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 for AI tools that act on research (closed) at 17:00 BST (19:00 in Nairobi), Bayreuth Academy Fellowships in African Studies, Germany (closed) at 23:59 CEST (00:59 on 6 October) and Software Sustainability Institute Fellowship Programme 2027 (closed) with no hour given.
• 6 October: AIAS Visiting Fellowships 2027: Unsalaried Research Visits in Denmark (closed) at noon Copenhagen time (13:00 in Nairobi), Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed) at 11:00 UTC (14:00) and Knight-Hennessy Scholars 2027: Fully Funded Graduate Study at Stanford (closed) at 1:00 pm Pacific Time (23:00).

Where a page gives no hour, or only the word midnight, plan to finish a day early.

How to prepare from Kenya in the days left

Start with the rules you cannot change before a deadline. World Bank Group Young Professionals Program 2027 (closed) and Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed) each ask for at least two years of experience, AIAS Visiting Fellowships 2027: Unsalaried Research Visits in Denmark (closed) for four and Getty Conservation Guest Scholars Program in the USA (closed) for seven. IRENA Youth Forum 2027 in Abu Dhabi: fully funded places for young energy leaders (closed) takes applicants up to age 35, and UNESCO Japan Young Researchers Fellowships Programme (closed) up to 40.

English is the working language of most calls, but the bar differs. World Bank Group Young Professionals Program 2027 (closed) makes excellent spoken and written English mandatory, UNU-WIDER Visiting PhD Fellowship in Helsinki with EUR 2,100 a month (closed) wants fluent English plus good analytical skills, and AfricaLics PhD Visiting Fellowship 2027 in South Africa (closed) asks for adequate literacy in English. UNESCO Japan Young Researchers Fellowships Programme (closed) is the only call here that states IELTS is not required. It asks instead for enough reading and writing ability in the language of teaching or supervision at your proposed host institution in Japan, so confirm that language with the host first. Giving Joy Grant for Community Projects Worldwide (closed) accepts any language that Google Translate can handle, so Kiswahili works.

Some calls depend on your institution as much as on you. At Bayreuth Academy Fellowships in African Studies, Germany (closed), fellows without pay from home receive EUR 2,500 a month, and that rate requires a confirmation from your home institution or last funding organisation. Fellows on paid leave receive EUR 1,000. Request such letters today. For World Bank GovTech AI Bootcamp 2026 for Public Officials (closed), agree now with the colleague who would travel with you.

Paperwork has to be complete on the first attempt. AfricaLics PhD Visiting Fellowship 2027 in South Africa (closed) wants every attachment submitted through the online form, and Getty Conservation Guest Scholars Program in the USA (closed) applies its deadline to all application materials. UNU Migration Management Diploma Programme in the Netherlands (closed) pays visa fees and IRENA Youth Forum 2027 in Abu Dhabi: fully funded places for young energy leaders (closed) offers visa support, which covers the cost but not the waiting time.

Submit a day early. Several closing hours fall late at night in Nairobi, when a dropped connection leaves no time to try again.

Frequently asked questions

Which calls in this guide name Kenya?

UNESCO Japan Young Researchers Fellowships Programme (closed), UNU Migration Management Diploma Programme in the Netherlands (closed) and Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed) list Kenya by name. Seven more are limited to Africa, part of it or developing countries.

Is there a fully funded master's scholarship for Kenyans?

Yes. Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed) covers a one-year master's in the United Kingdom, and Knight-Hennessy Scholars 2027: Fully Funded Graduate Study at Stanford (closed) funds up to three years of graduate study at Stanford. Adelaide University Research Scholarships in Australia also pays tuition and a living allowance, for master's and PhD study in Australia.

Can I apply without an IELTS score?

UNESCO Japan Young Researchers Fellowships Programme (closed) states that IELTS is not required. Where the other listings describe English, they name a level such as fluent or excellent rather than a score.

What can undergraduates apply for?

FrieslandCampina Global Traineeship 2027 for Graduates (closed) is for graduates with a first degree, and TANGO2 Research Foundation TDD Research Pathways Grant (closed) accepts undergraduates for health research. Calls with no level requirement are open to you too, including Giving Joy Grant for Community Projects Worldwide (closed), IDP IELTS Future Award 2026 with six prizes of USD 5,000 (closed) and 20th SEARCA Photo Contest 2026: USD 1,000 top prize for food-system photos (closed).

What if I miss these deadlines?

Two calls state that they run twice a year. UNU-WIDER Visiting PhD Fellowship in Helsinki with EUR 2,100 a month (closed) has deadlines on 31 March and 30 September, and Senckenberg Global Fellowships in Germany for Global South researchers (closed) on 1 March and 1 October.