LEPSAI – AI4D Scholarship Webinar Q&A (FAQS)
To qualify for support from the AI4D scholarship, you must have defended your proposal. In the letter from your assigned supervisor—not a letter of support but an official statement—they need to confirm the challenges you are facing in obtaining the certificate. Please ensure this letter provides clear visibility into your situation
Yes, you are required to include all your transcripts
We understand that AI is an emerging technology, and some universities may not have offered a PhD in AI at the time of your studies. However, to be considered for this grant, your research must focus on applying AI to solve problems related to machine learning. While it is not mandatory for your PhD to be specifically in AI, it would be advantageous if your field falls within STEM disciplines, such as physics or mathematics.
Not necessarily, but it is encouraged. However, if you do not currently have any research involving master’s students but plan to recruit them, you should indicate this in your application.
Unfortunately, this grant does not support PhD students based outside Africa. To be eligible, you must be enrolled in a university that is located within Africa.
Unfortunately, based on your circumstances, you are not eligible for this scholarship, as your PhD program is based at an institution outside Africa.
The $28,000 is allocated for a two-year period. However, the disbursement is not based on the number of years remaining in your PhD but rather on specific activities.
Yes, you can.
The country qualifies for Early Academic Research or postdoctoral positions, and we are not aware of any restrictions. Therefore, I encourage you to apply
There is no strict requirement regarding the gender of research assistants. However, we encourage gender balance in your team. If you are applying for an early career academic position, you can have both male and female assistants without limitation, but we recommend striving for diversity.
There are two categories available. The first category is for PhD applicants, and the second is for early career academics. To qualify for the early career academic category, you must have obtained your PhD within the last five years. Since this is 2025, eligible candidates should have completed their PhD between 2020 and 2025.
If you are applying for a PhD, you must apply as an individual. However, you cannot apply for both the PhD and Early Career Academic (ECA) categories—you must choose one. To qualify for the ECA category, you must have already obtained your PhD. Additionally, ECA applicants have the opportunity to support two MSc students, regardless of gender or field. Your application must also incorporate AI and focus on responsible AI solutions.
If you have already defended your PhD proposal, you are eligible to apply. Additionally, you will be assigned a mentor who can help bridge any knowledge gaps your supervisor may have regarding AI.
Yes, your research is still eligible for the scholarship. Since annotation is a key part of your data process, it qualifies as data collection in this context. I encourage you to apply.
Yes, your research is relevant as it aligns with the SDG focus on health. To be eligible, you must have defended and received faculty approval for your research proposal.
Typically, research-related expenses are paid directly to the individual. However, if you are an Early Career Academic (ECA) supporting your university, payments for equipment and institutional support will be made directly to the supplier.
Yes, the minimum qualifications are outlined on the program’s website. For Category 1, you must have completed a master’s degree, be currently enrolled in a PhD program, and have successfully defended your research proposal with faculty approval.
Not as a direct beneficiary. However, if you are a master’s student and an Early Career Academic (ECA) at your institution has been awarded the scholarship, you may apply to work under them as part of their research team
If you are applying for a PhD position, this is generally acceptable. However, for the Early Career Academic category, challenges may arise regarding institutional support. If awarded the scholarship, equipment and funding are allocated to the university, not the individual. You must consider whether the receiving university or your current employer will have access to the equipment. It is recommended to apply through the institution that will best facilitate your research, keeping in mind that the program supports public universities.
Your research can be from any field, particularly STEM disciplines, but it must incorporate AI and Machine Learning components.
Yes, as long as your research incorporates AI—especially responsible AI—and you have earned your PhD within the last five years, you are eligible. The field of study does not matter as long as AI is a key component of your work.
Yes, the program includes a physical conference held in an African country. More details will be provided closer to the event.
There is no fixed number at this time. However, I encourage all eligible candidates to apply.
It is expected that as you develop your solution, you will engage with the user community to ensure it has a real-world impact. You must also demonstrate active efforts to deploy your solution beyond your studies. One of the key goals of this program is to support research that extends beyond academic institutions and benefits society. Many research projects in Africa remain unpublished or underutilized, and this initiative aims to help scale and implement solutions. Therefore, you need to outline how you will sustain and deploy your solution post-PhD or Early Career research.
Since you are employed at a private university, you may face challenges in meeting the eligibility requirements. However, if you plan to apply through a public university, we need to determine your level of access and affiliation with that institution. Are you partially employed there, or do you have an official connection? If we support you as an Early Career Academic, the resources provided should directly benefit both you and the students at that university. Therefore, we need to understand the nature of your affiliation with the public university where you intend to apply.
Yes, satellite data can be acceptable, but it must be carefully refined to align with the needs of the local user community. While satellite data may originate from various global sources, we prioritize data that is specific to Africa or the country where your research is conducted. The data should accurately represent the local context and user community. For example, if your research involves agriculture, the satellite data should be relevant to a specific region in Africa rather than being generalized from another country. The key requirement is that the data be authentic, high-quality, and directly applicable to your research objectives.
Yes, you are eligible to apply for this research support. However, any request for additional capacity must be well justified. You need to clearly outline the specific roles that the additional MSc students will play within your research and explain how their involvement will contribute to your ongoing projects. Since you have mentioned having multiple research dimensions, you should provide a clear description of these areas and how the funding will enhance their development. I encourage you to apply.
The funding requirements set by our funders specify that support is only available for PhD and Early Career research conducted at public universities.
Yes, you can explore the ACTS website, specifically the AI for Development section, where you will find information on research projects previously supported in earlier phases. This will give you insights into past successful candidates and their work.
Yes, if you obtained your PhD within the last five years and your current research in the Early Career Academic category is focused on Machine Learning, you are eligible to apply. Note that Early Career Academics are required to support two MSc students. If successful, the MSc students will be onboarded after the close of this call.
The expectation within this call is that your research should go beyond merely developing a model. To validate the model’s usefulness, particularly in addressing an SDG area, you need to engage with the user community. While building a model is a critical step, it is essential to demonstrate how users will interact with it and apply it in real-world scenarios. A model alone, without implementation or validation within a user community, makes it difficult to assess its impact, accuracy, and usability. Ideally, your work should include an applied component where the model is tested and refined based on real-world usage, ensuring it effectively serves its intended purpose
According to the eligibility requirements, only researchers affiliated with public universities are supported.
Equipment payments are made directly to the supplier. As part of the procurement policy, you will need to obtain quotes from multiple suppliers before funds are disbursed. The equipment will be addressed to the university or institution. However, if your lab operates under the university, the equipment will be assigned to your Lab or department. You may need to ensure that access is available to other relevant departments as required.
Since your proposal is still under review, you are not yet eligible for this grant. The scholarship supports PhD students whose proposals have already been approved by their faculty and who are currently working on major revisions, data collection, analysis, or result validation. However, if your proposal is accepted before the application deadline, you will become eligible to apply.
Unfortunately, only applications from candidates whose proposals have already been approved by their department or faculty at the time of submission will be considered.