CoAct Database

African Energy Futures Initiative (AEFI)

All African countries should have the capabilities, resources, and tools to shape their own energy transitions. Achieving this requires African researchers organised into a continent-wide community actively pursuing this goal. They are committed to transforming Africa’s energy planning ecosystem centred on establishing and supporting locally rooted research hubs that drive inclusive, modelled, policy-relevant research – on African terms.

The New African Energy Futures Initiative (AEFI) will competitively award multi-year grant funding and technical assistance to African research organizations or ‘hubs’ of collaborating research groups, including universities, think tanks, and ministries. The flexible funds will enable them to attract and retain top talent, expand their research programs, and more effectively engage with policymakers. The first competitive grant process will launch in 2025, with the aim of supporting up to 20 hubs over the next decade. Specifically, AEFI will focus on: 1) Supporting Emerging Talent, Funding for PhD students, Postdoctoral fellowships, and mentorship programs to nurture the next generation of African energy analysts; 2) Expanding Research Capacity, Investing in new technologies and research tools to generate original data and insights; 3) Engaging Policymakers, Strengthening connections between researchers and government institutions to ensure that data-driven analysis informs policy decisions; 4) Building Collaboration Opportunities, Facilitating interdisciplinary learning and collaboration between global partners and African researchers to accelerate innovation and share best practices.

GST linkages