Scholarships, grants and fellowships for Zimbabwean applicants 2027

AfriWay lists 25 open calls that Zimbabweans can enter, and the window is short. Deadlines start on Monday 5 October 2026 and stop on Friday 23 October. Only two of the calls write Zimbabwe into their eligibility rules, and four meet AfriWay's fully funded test. Published closing hours are converted to Harare time, Central Africa Time (CAT, UTC+2), which never changes.

What is open to Zimbabweans right now

Fellowships make up more than half the list, with 14 calls. Grants number four and scholarships six, plus one training programme, from 24 funders in total. Postdoctoral researchers have the most options, 11 calls, while master's and doctoral candidates have seven each and people in employment six. Three calls are open at every level. Undergraduates appear by name in just one, The Image Centre Research Fellowships 2027 in Toronto for photography research (closed). Among subjects, the social sciences have eight calls, the humanities six, and environment and climate five.

Zimbabwe is named twice. Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed) includes it in a list of 82 countries, and Mandela Washington Fellowship 2027 for Young African Leaders (closed) in a list of 49 African ones, with 550 places for professionals aged 35 or under. Eight more admit Zimbabweans under a continental, sub-Saharan or developing-country rule, and the other 15 accept any passport.

By career stage:

• Postgraduate degrees: Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed), Knight-Hennessy Scholars 2027: Fully Funded Graduate Study at Stanford (closed), ARC-GSSP Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students (closed), plus three EPOS-funded master's courses in Germany.
• Doctoral level: African Climate Collaborative PhD Fellowships 2027 at UCT (closed), plus two grants, AGNES-BAYER Science Foundation Research Grant 2026 for PhD Students (closed) and AGNES Intra-Africa Mobility Grants 2026 for PhD Researchers (closed).
• After the PhD: Cornell Atkinson Postdoctoral Fellowship in Sustainability 2027 (USD 65,000 a year), Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program 2027 in the United States (closed) (USD 45,000 to 65,000 a year), EUI Jean Monnet Fellowships 2027-2028 for Postdocs in Italy (EUR 2,850 a month) and IAIFI Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027-2030 at MIT (closed) (some 15% more than the lowest MIT postdoc salary). Also Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship 2027 at CRASSH, Cambridge (closed), Bayreuth Academy Fellowships in African Studies, Germany (closed) with its 15 places, CEES Fellowship Program Spring 2027: Research Stay in Switzerland (closed) for up to four months, Mohamed Ali Foundation Fellowship 2027 at Durham University and AIAS Visiting Fellowships 2027: Unsalaried Research Visits in Denmark (closed), where your salary must come from home.
• Mid-career: Mandela Washington Fellowship 2027 for Young African Leaders (closed), Leading for Humanity 2027: Tutu Foundation Leadership Programme (closed), Software Sustainability Institute Fellowship Programme 2027 (closed) and, for health professionals, FOR-GHP Fellowship 2027: outbreak readiness for sub-Saharan Africa.
• Project money: OpenAI AI and Teen Development Research Grant Program 2026 (closed), with grants of as much as USD 1,000,000 each, and Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 for AI tools that act on research (closed), worth GBP 25,000 at most.

The four fully funded calls, by closing date

AfriWay's fully funded label needs two things from a scholarship or fellowship, paid tuition and a living allowance, while a grant only has to cover living costs. Four calls qualify, and the first of them is the only one that names Zimbabwe.

Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed) closes at 13:00 Harare time on Tuesday 6 October (11:00 UTC). It covers fees and living costs in the United Kingdom, places no limit on subject, and asks that you have worked for two years or longer.

The same evening, Knight-Hennessy Scholars 2027: Fully Funded Graduate Study at Stanford (closed) closes to all nationalities at 22:00 in Harare. Winners get up to three years of Stanford graduate study paid for: fees settled directly, a stipend for board, books, supplies and local transport, and a yearly economy fare between home and campus. The money attaches to the degree you plan to begin when selected, so choose that programme first.

ARC-GSSP Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students (closed) closes in the small hours of Thursday 8 October, at 01:59 Harare time, since its 23:59 GMT limit belongs to Wednesday. Any African citizen may apply. Engineers, mathematicians and environment or climate students get full postgraduate fees for as long as two years, money to live on and support for travel. You would be based in Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, South Africa or Ghana.

The last is a grant, AGNES Intra-Africa Mobility Grants 2026 for PhD Researchers (closed), due at 01:59 on Saturday 17 October in Harare. It pays the fare and daily upkeep of a sub-Saharan PhD researcher visiting an institute abroad: EUR 2,300 covers one month away and EUR 3,000 two. A research allowance for the host can be added on request.

Three more calls pay a lot without meeting the test. FOR-GHP Fellowship 2027: outbreak readiness for sub-Saharan Africa asks for no tuition and buys flights, visas and beds for its three workshops, though no daily allowance is paid. Mohamed Ali Foundation Fellowship 2027 at Durham University provides a room and meals for the full fellowship, offers a travel grant for research, and closes with an honorarium. Leading for Humanity 2027: Tutu Foundation Leadership Programme (closed) covers the programme, rooms and meals, but not your travel there and back.

Regional calls and southern African hosts

Not one call on this list is limited to southern Africa, but the region still shows up in two ways, through nearby hosts and through eight calls with a regional or income-based rule.

Nearby. Leading for Humanity 2027: Tutu Foundation Leadership Programme (closed) takes place in South Africa, which is also one of the four destinations of ARC-GSSP Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students (closed). The University of Cape Town runs African Climate Collaborative PhD Fellowships 2027 at UCT (closed).

The continent. Beside ARC-GSSP Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students (closed), only African Climate Collaborative PhD Fellowships 2027 at UCT (closed) welcomes every African nationality, with 12 doctoral places of four years each in climate, environment or society. No stipend figure is listed.

Sub-Saharan Africa. AGNES-BAYER Science Foundation Research Grant 2026 for PhD Students (closed) and AGNES Intra-Africa Mobility Grants 2026 for PhD Researchers (closed) accept only English applications. The first caps its award at EUR 7,000 per doctoral researcher in agriculture or climate and environment. The third regional call, FOR-GHP Fellowship 2027: outbreak readiness for sub-Saharan Africa, offers 18 months of training for health workers between December 2026 and July 2028, with hosts in Uganda, Germany and Ghana.

Developing countries. In Germany, DAAD funds EPOS places on three master's programmes. Marine biologists should look at ISATEC (MSc Marine Biology), University of Bremen: DAAD EPOS 2027 (closed), energy engineers at Sustainable Renewable Energy Technologies MSc, Oldenburg: EPOS 2027 (closed) and health specialists at International Health MSc, Charité Berlin: DAAD EPOS Scholarship 2027 (closed). They share a closing date, 15 October 2026, and each expects applicants to have worked for two years. None of the listings names the eligible countries, so confirm that Zimbabwe is covered before paying for certified copies.

Both lists that name Zimbabwe also include South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique, so your neighbours compete in the same pool.

Closing dates, nearest first, on the Harare clock (CAT, UTC+2)

Harare keeps UTC+2 all year. Until Europe's summer time ends late in October, South Africa, Germany, Italy and Denmark show the same hour. London is one hour behind Harare, GMT two, and North American cut-offs arrive between your late evening and the next morning.

Week one: nine calls

• Monday 5 October: 18:00 for Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 for AI tools that act on research (closed) (London time) and 23:59 for Bayreuth Academy Fellowships in African Studies, Germany (closed) (CEST). Software Sustainability Institute Fellowship Programme 2027 (closed) names no hour.
• Tuesday 6 October: 12:00 for AIAS Visiting Fellowships 2027: Unsalaried Research Visits in Denmark (closed), not 13:00, because Denmark is still on summer time despite the CET on its page. Then 13:00 for Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed) (11:00 UTC) and 22:00 for Knight-Hennessy Scholars 2027: Fully Funded Graduate Study at Stanford (closed) (Pacific time).
• Wednesday 7 October: OpenAI AI and Teen Development Research Grant Program 2026 (closed) runs to 08:59, the last minute of Tuesday in Pacific time. IAIFI Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027-2030 at MIT (closed) names a date only, and the references are due with it.
• Thursday 8 October: 01:59 for ARC-GSSP Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students (closed), a minute before midnight GMT on Wednesday.

Week two: eleven calls

• Monday 12 October: CEES Fellowship Program Spring 2027: Research Stay in Switzerland (closed). Tuesday 13 October: Mandela Washington Fellowship 2027 for Young African Leaders (closed). Wednesday 14 October: Leading for Humanity 2027: Tutu Foundation Leadership Programme (closed). None gives an hour.
• Thursday 15 October: 23:00 for African Climate Collaborative PhD Fellowships 2027 at UCT (closed) (South African time). The EPOS trio closes the same day, hour unstated.
• Friday 16 October: Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program 2027 in the United States (closed) runs to 05:59 (11:59 pm Eastern, Thursday), and Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship 2027 at CRASSH, Cambridge (closed) to 13:00 if its noon, given without a zone, is UK time.
• Saturday 17 October: 01:59 for both AGNES calls, whose cut-off is 23:59 GMT on Friday night.

Week three: five calls

• Monday 19 October: The Image Centre Research Fellowships 2027 in Toronto for photography research (closed) runs to 05:59. Toronto states 11:59 pm EST on the Sunday, but the city is on daylight time until November, so take the earlier hour.
• Tuesday 20 October: 23:00 for Cornell Atkinson Postdoctoral Fellowship in Sustainability 2027 (5 pm Eastern). Mohamed Ali Foundation Fellowship 2027 at Durham University must have your application that day, hour unstated.
• Wednesday 21 October: 01:00 in Harare, or midnight CET, for FOR-GHP Fellowship 2027: outbreak readiness for sub-Saharan Africa. Which midnight is meant is unclear, so finish on the Tuesday.
• Friday 23 October: 14:00 for EUI Jean Monnet Fellowships 2027-2028 for Postdocs in Italy, a CEST hour and so identical in Harare.

If the Harare time is after midnight, or no hour is given, file the evening before. A power cut at 01:00 leaves no room to recover.

Practical preparation for Zimbabwean applicants

Start with the conditions nobody can waive. AIAS Visiting Fellowships 2027: Unsalaried Research Visits in Denmark (closed) expects a minimum of four years of experience, while Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed), FOR-GHP Fellowship 2027: outbreak readiness for sub-Saharan Africa and the EPOS trio want two. Mandela Washington Fellowship 2027 for Young African Leaders (closed) takes no one over 35.

Nearly every call works in English, yet each funder wants different proof of it. Only FOR-GHP Fellowship 2027: outbreak readiness for sub-Saharan Africa says outright that you can apply without IELTS. Native command of English counts there, as does an English-taught degree you can document. So does IELTS 6.0, or a TOEFL iBT score in the 79 to 80 band. Graduates of English-medium programmes should request a registrar's letter confirming the language of instruction now. Sustainable Renewable Energy Technologies MSc, Oldenburg: EPOS 2027 (closed) asks for B2 and accepts seven certificates, among them PTE Academic, TOEIC and Cambridge. At ISATEC (MSc Marine Biology), University of Bremen: DAAD EPOS 2027 (closed), the C1 certificate is waived only for native English speakers whose last studies ran entirely in English. CEES Fellowship Program Spring 2027: Research Stay in Switzerland (closed) wants a single PDF, written entirely in English.

Referees set the pace of any application. IAIFI Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027-2030 at MIT (closed) counts references toward its 7 October cut-off, while The Image Centre Research Fellowships 2027 in Toronto for photography research (closed) expects the letters inside the email that carries your application. Tell referees what the deadline means on their own clock, not Harare's.

Two calls depend on an employer. At Bayreuth Academy Fellowships in African Studies, Germany (closed), the monthly EUR 2,500 goes only to fellows who earn nothing from their home institution, and a letter from that institution or your latest funder must confirm it. AIAS Visiting Fellowships 2027: Unsalaried Research Visits in Denmark (closed) offers no salary at all, so ask your employer to confirm in writing that your pay continues throughout the Danish stay.

Finally, cost the gaps. The Image Centre Research Fellowships 2027 in Toronto for photography research (closed) gives each fellow a single sum, CAD 10,000 at most, and flights, research and related costs all come out of it.

Questions from Zimbabwean applicants

Does any call name Zimbabwe?

Two do, Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed) and Mandela Washington Fellowship 2027 for Young African Leaders (closed). Another eight accept Zimbabweans as Africans, sub-Saharan Africans or nationals of a developing country, and 15 have no nationality limit.

Is there fully funded postgraduate study inside Africa?

Yes. ARC-GSSP Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students (closed) funds up to two years of it at one of four African hosts.

Can I apply before finishing my first degree?

Only The Image Centre Research Fellowships 2027 in Toronto for photography research (closed) names undergraduates, while Digital Science Catalyst Grant 2026 for AI tools that act on research (closed) and Leading for Humanity 2027: Tutu Foundation Leadership Programme (closed) have no level condition. ARC-GSSP Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students (closed) funds postgraduate study, so it helps only after graduation.

Which cut-offs fall overnight in Harare?

Six do. Both AGNES calls and ARC-GSSP Postgraduate Scholarships for African Students (closed) close at 01:59, Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program 2027 in the United States (closed) and The Image Centre Research Fellowships 2027 in Toronto for photography research (closed) at 05:59, and FOR-GHP Fellowship 2027: outbreak readiness for sub-Saharan Africa at 01:00.