Applications for the #JWOResearchGrant close on 1 May 2026 (00:00 SAST).
The successful applicant will receive a grant of USD 150,000 to support an independent research project or programme over up to three years.
The grant supports research that advances knowledge, informs conservation, and contributes to environmental solutions across Africa. This work should be scientifically rigorous, clearly articulated, and relevant across African contexts.
It should be grounded in collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking, with the potential to create impact beyond academia.
If your research aligns with this and you meet the eligibility criteria, you can find the full guidelines and apply via the link in bio.
#ResearchFunding #ORC #ResearchOpportunity #AfricanResearch
#Throwback to the 14th Oppenheimer Research Conference, where Dr Nompumelelo Catherine Baso was named the 2025 #JWOResearchGrant recipient.
Dr Baso’s work sits at the intersection of two pressures on Africa’s freshwater systems: invasive species and climate change.
Through her research, Dr Baso is working to understand how these systems are changing and where targeted interventions can help restore balance and stability.
In a recent Tipping Points conversation, she reflects on the early stages of this work and what the grant has made possible so far. Find a link to the full conversation in our bio.
Applications for the 2026 Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant close on Friday, 1 May 2026 at 00:00 SAST.
If you are eligible and considering applying, make sure you read the grant guidelines and submit your application before the deadline.
#researchinafrica #fundingopportunity #researchfunding
If you are considering applying for the #JWOResearchGrant, the first step is a simple one: understanding whether the opportunity is right for you.
The grant is designed for early-career African scientists working on biodiversity and conservation challenges, with a focus on research that contributes to real-world solutions across the continent.
Eligible candidates should:
– Hold a PhD (or equivalent qualification)
– Have no more than seven years’ post-PhD experience
– Be an African national
– Be affiliated with a recognised African institution
– Propose research focused on, or conducted in, Africa
One award of USD 150,000 supports an independent research project for up to three years.
If you meet the criteria, the next step is to begin shaping a clear, well-defined research idea, one that is grounded in Africa and capable of contributing to broader environmental understanding and practice.
Read the grant guidelines and begin your application at the link in our bio.
#AfricanResearch #ResearchFunding #EarlyCareerResearchers #ScienceInAfrica
A look back at last year’s Oppenheimer Research Conference.
A space to share ideas, explore new perspectives, and contribute to a collective effort to understand and respond to complex challenges.
We look forward to continuing these conversations in October at the 15th ORC.
Images by @habitatxr@shen_scott
#OppenheimerResearchConference #ORC2025 #ORC2026 #ConservationResearch
The Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant (JWO Research Grant) supports early-career African scientists working at the intersection of biodiversity, conservation, and real-world impact.
In a recent Tipping Points conversation, past recipients reflect on how their work has shaped policy, informed conservation practice, and developed over time.
If you meet the criteria and are considering applying, this is a useful place to start.
– USD 150,000 research grant
– Up to three years of support
– Applications close 1 May 2026
Watch the conversation and explore what is possible.
Find the link in our bio.
#JWOResearchGrant #OppenheimerResearchConference #ScienceInAfrica #ResearchImpact #EarlyCareerResearchers
We often speak about the planet as something separate from us, something to protect or restore, but much of the work shared at the Oppenheimer Research Conference points to how closely people, health and the natural world are connected.
Conservation does not sit apart from people; it moves through communities, health systems, and the landscapes we inhabit together.
As Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka reflected, “We can’t ask people to protect wildlife if they don’t have their basic needs met. Healthy people, healthy animals, healthy environment; it’s one system.”
This idea was explored at the 14th ORC through a number of addresses and discussions, including Dr David Western’s reflections on coexistence across landscapes and Dr Duan Biggs’ work on how the responsibilities and benefits of conservation are shared.
#EarthDay is a reminder of that connection. The work is in how we sustain it.
A recent Daily Maverick feature on Dr Hayley Clements, the inaugural JWO Research Grant recipient, offers a closer look at how this interconnection plays out in practice, showing how much of Africa’s biodiversity persists within the landscapes where people live and work.
Find the link to the article in our bio.
@gladyskalemazikusoka
#ORC2026 #OppenheimerResearchConference #Conservation #JWOResearchGrant
What happens after a scientist receives the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant?
In our next Tipping Points webinar, past recipients unpack what comes next — the breakthroughs, the setbacks, and the reality of turning African research into real-world impact.
Join Dr Hayley Clements, Dr Gideon Idowu and Dr Nompumelelo Baso as they share how their work continues to shape scientific leadership across the continent.
From the field to policy, from data to decision-making, this is where science meets change.
Tuesday, 7 April 2026 | 13:00–14:00 SAST
Register via the link in bio to be part of the conversation.
#JWOResearchGrant #ScienceInAfrica #TippingPoints #OppenheimerGenerations #OGRC
Applications are now open for the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant 2026!
Now in its eighth year, the grant supports qualified early-career African scientists working on research that advances biodiversity conservation and provides solutions to some of Africa’s most pressing environmental challenges.
The award provides USD 150,000 to enable an independent research programme of up to three years.
Eligible candidates are encouraged to review the criteria carefully before submitting their applications.
Further information, including eligibility requirements and application guidelines, is available via the link in our bio.
Applications close on 1 May 2026.
#JWOResearchGrant #ORC2026 #ConservationResearch
Registration is now open for the 15th Oppenheimer Research Conference (ORC), taking place from 7 to 9 October 2026 at the Randjesfontein Cricket Ground, Midrand.
Since its inception in 2010, the ORC has become a recognised highlight on the science calendar. It continues to bring researchers, practitioners, and students together to share ideas that support the conservation of ecosystems, biodiversity, and heritage.
Abstract submissions are now open for those wishing to be considered for oral or poster presentations. Contributions should be grounded in evidence, attentive to context, and relevant to the natural and environmental sciences.
To register for the conference or submit an abstract— and to view conference fees, deadlines, and submission guidelines — visit the link in our bio.
Abstract submissions close on 5 June 2026.
#ORC2026 #OppenheimerResearchConference #ConservationResearch
Dr Lovanomenjanahary Marline was awarded the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer (JWO) Research Grant in 2023 for her bryophyte research in the tropical Afro-Malagasy region in Madagascar.
@lova_marline ’s research focuses on bryophytes — mosses and liverworts that thrive in cool, elevated places. Though small and often overlooked, they are highly sensitive to environmental change and pollution. By studying their diversity and distribution across Madagascar’s mountain massifs, she is building a vital biodiversity resource while using these plants as natural indicators of air quality and shifting climate patterns.
Dr Marline’s work reflects the intention behind the grant: to support rigorous, African-led research that responds to complex environmental challenges.
Applications for the 2026 JWO Research Grant will open soon. If you are an early-career African scientist working at the intersection of biodiversity and conservation, watch this space.
#ORC2026 #OppenheimerResearchConference #JWOResearchGrant
On #WorldPangolinDay, we acknowledge the long-term research at @tswalu to help better understand and conserve the Temminck’s pangolin.
Researchers based at Tswalu have used tracking, diet analysis, and physiological monitoring to reveal how this elusive mammal responds to seasonal shifts in food and temperature and how its foraging influences the Kalahari ecosystem.
Insights from ongoing research will help establish protocols for assessing pangolin health and welfare and inform emerging efforts to support the release of rehabilitated pangolins back into the wild.
This work contributes to global knowledge of a species threatened by illegal trade, helping to guide efforts that safeguard pangolins, their habitats, and our understanding of Temminck’s pangolin across South Africa’s landscapes.
Images by @marcuswestbergphotography
#PangolinConservation #Tswalu #TswaluFoundation
One of @tswalu ’s resident species is the Hartmann’s mountain zebra, identified by its dewlap, orange-brown muzzle, and stripes that stop at the stomach.
This subspecies is adapted to arid, rocky terrain, and large tracts of mountain shrubveld on Tswalu’s Korannaberg foothills provide the ideal habitat for them.
Research by PhD student Paulo Ribeiro, supported by Oppenheimer Generations and the Tswalu Foundation, explores how environmental change, anthropogenic impact, and competition with other zebra species cause spatial restrictions for the vulnerable herbivore.
This work contributes to a better understanding of the factors influencing the species’ survival and helps identify where protection and management efforts can have valuable impact.
Images by @barry_peiser and @haileyapope@tswalu@wits__university@ribeiro.pauloh
#InternationalZebraDay #ConservationResearch #ORC #Tswalu
