Deadline: 17-Sep-2025
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), under the Artificial Intelligence for Development (AI4D) program, have announced a call for concept notes on the socio-economic impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) in Africa. This initiative aims to support research on how AI is influencing labour markets, productivity, and inequality across the continent, helping policymakers ensure AI benefits all, especially vulnerable communities.
Concept notes should focus on African low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and address differential impacts, inequality, and marginalized populations. Projects must fill knowledge gaps and generate evidence for responsible AI policymaking. The objectives include producing rigorous, context-specific data on AI’s socio-economic effects and guiding inclusive AI policies.
Research should relate to themes such as AI’s impact on labour markets and livelihoods, particularly for youth and informal workers; its role in boosting productivity and fostering inclusive growth; risks of exclusion and uneven benefits contributing to poverty and inequality; and addressing global imbalances in AI development while promoting local innovation.
The program will provide up to four grants of a maximum CAD 1 million each, with projects lasting no longer than 36 months. Selection will ensure cross-regional representation and coverage of all priority themes, with multi-country studies encouraged.
Eligible applicants must be organizations registered in African LMICs. Proposals can be from individual organizations or consortia of up to five organizations, with one lead organization capable of sub-granting. Private sector partners are welcome if they bring resources or technical expertise. Teams should demonstrate experience in social science research, AI, and digital governance, with a preference for multidisciplinary collaborations and inclusion of early-career researchers, women, and underrepresented groups. The lead organization must have the capacity to manage funds and reporting, and research should be relevant to Sub-Saharan African policy, governance, or development priorities.
For more information, visit IDRC.
