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Interdisciplinary Research Grants Programme: 2026–27 Round

Apply for seed funding to support high-quality, interdisciplinary research projects across the University of Malawi. Grants of MK 15–40 million for 12–24 months.

Overview
FunderUniversity of Malawi
Funding TypeResearch Grant
AmountMK 15–40 million
Publication Date10 April 2026
Scheme open Date30 April 2026
Duration12–24 months
Deadline30 June 2026, 11:00 PM CAT
Application Templates & Resources

The University of Malawi is inviting proposals for the next round of its Internal Interdisciplinary Research programme. The Programme supports collaborative projects across UNIMA’s schools, encouraging innovative research that contributes to academic excellence, policy impact, and industry collaboration. 
This programme supports high-quality, interdisciplinary research projects and associated publications to enhance UNIMA's research culture and encourage collaboration. Proposals must demonstrate interdisciplinary collaboration across schools and departments and contribute to the national development agenda.
This initiative complements UNIMA's strategic objectives by promoting excellence in research, fostering cross-disciplinary partnerships, and enhancing research capacity among academic staff. It is open to groups of current academic staff at UNIMA who meet the eligibility criteria. Read the complete eligibility requirements below.

This call for proposals aims to:
  • Promote multidisciplinary research collaboration within and across UNIMA's schools.
  • Provide financial and technical support for interdisciplinary research projects with potential for significant impact.
  • Strengthen interdisciplinary research capacity and mentorship for staff.
  • Support applications for larger external grants through preliminary data and findings.
This programme will support projects resulting in:
  • Enhanced support for research careers, including mentorship for early-career researchers.
  • Increased engagement with diverse knowledge systems and intersectionality
  • Strengthened capacity and leadership in research
  • Fostered mutually respectful relationships across disciplines and stakeholders
Applicants are expected to consider the following points, which should be reflected in their proposals. 
  • Principal Investigator: Must hold a doctoral degree, have experience in research and grants management, and have recent publications (at least in the last 3 years).
  • Team Composition: Must include members from at least three different departments within or outside their school. At least one member should be a Lecturer. Teams must be gender-sensitive. Inter-school teams are encouraged.
  • Employment Status: All team members must be current academic staff of UNIMA.
  • Principal Investigators will be ineligible to apply while holding another research grant under this scheme.
  • Researchers with outstanding deliverables from prior cycles (e.g., at least one manuscript submitted to an indexed journal) are ineligible until cleared.
  • Senior researchers should promote mentorship, equity, and inclusivity across academic cadres.
As a result of this call, a minimum of five grants, ranging from MK 15,000,000 to MK 40,000,000, will be issued. The project duration is 12-24 months, including all research activities and final reporting. All grants are subject to sufficient funds being made available to UNIMA. UNIMA reserves the right to cancel this call at any time without prior notice and/or not issue any grants under this process.
Eligible Costs:
  • Research activities (e.g., research assistants, data collection, analysis, laboratory tests, report writing, ethics approval).
  • Travel: field visits.
  • Equipment and supplies: chemicals, software (e.g., Stata, Atlas. ti, and NVivo).
  • Dissemination (e.g., conferences, policy briefs, publication costs).
Non-Allowable Costs:
  • Salaries, laptops, vehicles, tablets.
For full details, refer to the Interdisciplinary Research Grants Programme Guidelines.
Please read the Interdisciplinary Research Grants Programme Guidelines for Applicants should submit their proposals using the provided forms by email to grants@unima.ac.mw In addition to the application form, applications must include: 
AttachmentNotes
Case for Support (max. 5,000 words)Separate attachment
Justification of Resources (max. 2 sides of A4)Free flowing
Detailed Budget (Excel)Use provided budget template
Results Framework & Implementation Plan (Excel)Use provided template
Data Management Plan (max. 2 sides of A4)See Appendix 1 of guidelines
Signed Letter of CommitmentSingle letter, all signatures
ReferencesOnly references cited in proposal
Letters of Support from Partner OrganisationsIf applicable
An acknowledgement of receipt will be sent to all applicants. Support for Applicants: 
  • Attend the information session and grant writing workshop.
  • Access internal/external reports and policies via the Research Office.
Please read the Interdisciplinary Research Grants Programme Guidelines for detailed instructions on eligibility, evaluation criteria, and grant management.
Each application will be scored against eight criteria. Reviewers score each criterion on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). The overall score is a weighted average using the weights below.
CriterionWeightWhat reviewers will consider
Scientific merit and innovation20%Originality and significance of the research questions; novelty of the approach; quality of the literature review; contribution to new ideas across disciplinary boundaries.
Conceptual clarity20%Clarity and coherence of the objectives; strength of the theoretical or conceptual framework; rigour and appropriateness of the chosen methodology and analysis framework.
Team capability and capacity building15%Quality of the interdisciplinary team; qualifications and track record relative to career stage; quality of mentorship plans for junior researchers; evidence of effective collaboration across departments or schools.
Potential for impact and knowledge translation10%Significance of the research problem for Malawi; plausibility of pathways from research to academic, policy, or societal impact; alignment with MW2063 and the National Research Agenda.
Dissemination strategy10%Quality and realism of the planned outputs (publications, datasets, policy briefs, events, etc.); appropriateness of dissemination channels for the intended audiences; open access plans.
Feasibility5%Realism of the work plan and timeline; adequacy of the Results Framework; identification and mitigation of risks; clarity of roles and responsibilities.
Gender and inclusion10%Gender balance in team composition; integration of gender dimensions into research design; inclusion of diverse and marginalised groups; use of an intersectional approach.
Budget justification and value for money10%Appropriateness of costs relative to proposed outputs; balance between activities and resources; quality of justification. Reviewers recognise that certain research methods are inherently more costly and will not penalise proposals solely on cost grounds.
FAQs will be updated with responses. Inquiries to researchsupport@unima.ac.mw