Rethinking research and innovation funding in Africa’s post-aid era

Reflections by Dr. Ellie Osir on building stronger foundations for STI financing

At Kenya’s Science, Technology, Research and Innovation (STRI) Week, one message stood out clearly: Africa must rethink how it funds research and innovation in a rapidly changing global environment. Co-convened by Kenya’s National Research Fund under the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, STRI Week is the country’s premier platform for connecting research, policy, and industry.

This conversation is especially urgent as traditional financing models continue to shift. Global geopolitical change, tightening donor budgets, and growing competition for development resources are making research funding across Africa more constrained, fragmented, and uncertain.

Many funders are increasingly focused on short-term strategic interests, while long-standing development partnerships are evolving in ways that can leave national research systems vulnerable.

Yet this moment also presents an opportunity for African countries to build stronger, more resilient STI systems. For Science Granting Councils and governments alike, the central question is no longer whether change is needed, but how to reposition effectively in a post-aid environment.

Building stronger foundations for STI financing

Strengthening domestic resource mobilisation for STRI

Even where public budgets are tight, sustained investment matters. Incremental increases in research and development spending, the creation of dedicated national research and innovation funds, and fiscal incentives such as R&D tax credits or innovation vouchers can reduce dependence on external financing. Over time, these measures help build systems that are less exposed to donor volatility and better aligned with national ambitions, including those set out in continental frameworks such as STISA-2034.

Diversifying funding sources and instruments

Governments and funding agencies should engage a broader mix of actors, including development banks, philanthropy, impact investors, and regional financing mechanisms. Blended finance models that combine public and private capital can also unlock new resources for innovation. The goal is not simply to find more money, but to create a balanced financing ecosystem that supports both knowledge generation and practical application.

Creating strong alignments between STI systems and national and regional priorities

Research investment is most effective when closely linked to national development plans and regional priorities. This means strengthening STI policies, ensuring coherence with frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area, and prioritising mission-oriented research in areas such as climate resilience, food systems, and health innovation. Governments and research organisations must also do more to translate findings into policy, communicate impact clearly, and demonstrate why STI investments matter. When policymakers, communities, and industry leaders understand the return on research investments, they are more likely to support them over the long term.

A critical related shift is strengthening the connection between public research and the private sector. Research cannot remain isolated within academic and research institutions if it is to contribute meaningfully to jobs, productivity, and industrial transformation. Public–private partnerships, technology transfer mechanisms, startup support, and industry-linked research initiatives can all help move ideas from research to use.

Strengthening national organisation capacities and governance

Strong institutions will be essential to making these reforms work. National research funding agencies and Science Granting Councils need the governance, credibility, and operational capacity to manage limited resources strategically, including transparent allocation mechanisms, clear accountability systems, and robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks that help governments understand what is working, what is not, and where course correction is needed. In a tighter funding environment, institutional capacity becomes a prerequisite for sustainability.

Fostering regional and South–South collaborative linkages

Regional and South–South collaboration should also be part of the response. By pooling resources, supporting researcher mobility and strengthening centres of excellence, African countries can achieve economies of scale and reduce duplication.

Collaborative models make it possible to tackle large, cross-border challenges that no single country can address alone, and can help shift the narrative from dependence to partnership with African institutions co-creating solutions and setting shared agendas.

Countries in East and Southeast Asia show that sustained and strategic investment in science, technology, and innovation can turn research systems into engines of growth, competitiveness, and public problem-solving, and there are lessons to learn from their experiences.

The transition to a post-aid era could become a turning point for African research and innovation systems, creating space for stronger national ownership, deeper regional collaboration, and more meaningful engagement with the private sector.

Domestic investment in research and innovation will be central to building the resilient, knowledge-based economies the continent needs.

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Published on 27 May 2026

Author: Ellie Osir