Grant 2024: Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant 2024

Introduction to the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant 2024

Applications are now open for the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant 2024. The JWO Research Grant is a part of Oppenheimer Generations, a diverse community of commercial ventures and not-for-profit organizations that represents the global interests of the Nicky and Jonathan Oppenheimer family.

The founder of this grant, Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer, was an individual who had a deep love for the African continent. Her journey began in the mid-90s when she moved to Zimbabwe with her husband Jonathan Oppenheimer. After spending a few years there, they both moved to South Africa, and it became her home.

Her philanthropic interests primarily revolved around health and education. However, as she began to understand the challenges that South Africa, Africa, and the world faced, the environment took center stage and became a significant part of her focus and passion.

Sustainable ecology became a central theme in her efforts to understand how a sustainable environment can be created where humans and the environment can exist and thrive for generations to come. The JWO Research Grant was founded in her honor, and it aims to continue her contribution to and passion for Africa, the environment, and pioneering science.

The primary purpose of the grant is to support early-career scientists who are conducting impactful research that will provide solutions to some of Africa’s most pressing problems. If you are an early-career scientist who is passionate about making a difference in Africa and has a research proposal that aligns with the grant’s objectives, this is an excellent opportunity to take your research to the next level.

Benefits of the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant 2024

A grant of $150,000 will be awarded to one successful applicant.
The grant will support a research project or programme for up to three years (previously funded research not eligible).

Eligibility Criteria for the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant 2024

The lead applicant should be:

An early-career scientist: the applicant must already hold a PhD degree and should have no more than seven years of work and/or research experience post-degree (excluding time taken for family responsibilities).
Have strong links to a credible African institution: The institution should have a proven ability to manage to fund and subscribe to good financial grant practice and can be any of the following: academic institution, research institution, government institution, NGO, for-profit organisation. Furthermore, the proposed research should be focused on or in Africa.

Other criteria for the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant 2024 include:

Early applications because no late submissions will be considered.
Previously funded research is not eligible.
All pre-proposal and full-proposal applications will be reviewed by the JWO Research Grant Expert Panel, a distinguished panel comprised of internal and external members with significant experience across academia, Africa, research and environmental science. All applications will be reviewed and scored following the grant criteria.

Please be aware that the panel’s decision is final and that no feedback will be given on any applications.

How to Apply

Application Topic:

Proposals from applicants must show a clear connection between biodiversity and conservation.

What the judge wants in your proposal:
- Advances the frontiers of knowledge within the chosen field
- Facilitates solutions to African challenges: The research should try and solve an African challenge that occurs in more than one geography and is scalable to other areas. The research should include multiple research sites
- Demonstrates innovative methodologies and approaches
- Exhibits scientific rigour and excellence
- Contributes to human capital development (e.g. mentorship, support, and professional development opportunities) for the next generation of researchers.
- Incorporates a holistic perspective and involves inter-and multi-disciplinary collaboration with partners (preference intra-African) to leverage time, expertise, skills, materials, and resources and reduce duplication
- Articulates the potential to create impact both during and beyond the grant period
- Displays knowledge of associated recent or ongoing work on the continent.
- Defines a clear plan for disseminating research outcomes both inside and outside the scientific community
- Endeavours to open access publications (popular and scientific
- Does not present unacceptable ethical or safety risk