ISARP – Italy-South Africa Joint Research Programme 2027-2029
ISARP – Italy-South Africa Joint Research Programme 2027-2029 supports Italian and South African researchers in joint digital, health and sustainability research to build capacity and advance scientific cooperation.
Funder: National Research Foundation
Due Dates: December 3, 2026 (Applications)
Funding Amounts: South Africa: up to R1.5 million over three years (R500,000/year); Italy: approximately €60,000–€65,000/year in project costs, including institutional co-funding
Summary: Supports bilateral Italian–South African research in digital technologies, health and biotechnology, and sustainability during 2027–2029.
Key Information: South African PIs at Historically Advantaged Institutions must include an HDI or designated new-university research partner.
Description
ISARP supports joint research through Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, and the National Research Foundation (NRF). The programme funds three-year bilateral projects under the countries’ scientific and technological cooperation agreement, emphasizing scientific excellence, the value of international collaboration, and research capacity development.
Projects must address frontier digital technologies and data-intensive sciences; health, biotechnologies and One Health; or sustainability, biodiversity and community resilience. AI applications with clear societal benefits are particularly encouraged. The programme also prioritizes meaningful early-career researcher involvement, effective participation by South African Historically Disadvantaged Institutions (HDIs), and opportunities for technology transfer and socio-economic application.
