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This report analyses grant-making practices within the African Education Research Funding Consortium, examining where funding is directed, the type of organisations receiving grants, and the focus areas of the funded projects. The analysis reveals both progress and significant gaps in aligning funding practices with the Consortium’s recommendations. Concerted efforts are needed to address funding disparities, diversify grant portfolios, and strengthen support for communication and underrepresented groups. Improved data collection and transparency are crucial for tracking progress and driving impactful change in African education research.
Some Key Findings:
- Most grantees are NGOs based in Africa, specifically Southern Africa.
- Despite most grants going to African organisations, the majority of funding goes to North American organisations.
- There is a greater emphasis on research and implementation than on communication and evidence use.
- The data on efforts to involve women, young researchers, and other disadvantaged groups in education research in Africa is insufficient.
- Minimum and comparable grant data is required to allow for learning.
Recommendations:
- Prioritise direct support and funding options to match local needs in Africa. This includes addressing the funding gap between African and North American organisations and diversifying grant portfolios within Africa, particularly in Central and Northern Africa and Francophone countries.
- Support research communication and the use of evidence. Funders are encouraged to re-prioritise their portfolios to include organisations that communicate and use evidence in policy.
- Actively seek to support women, young people, and other disadvantaged groups in education research. This requires making DEI objectives explicit in grantmaking and improving data collection and reporting on these metrics.
Capture data systematically and promote dynamic learning. Adopt a common template for grant data collection to ensure consistency and facilitate analysis.