In 2026, Italy and Kenya strengthened their scientific cooperation through a mobility program promoted by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR), aimed at facilitating access for Kenyan researchers to the infrastructure and expertise of the Italian research system.
This initiative is part of the bilateral collaboration launched via the Memorandum of Understanding on Higher Education, Training and Research signed in February 2026 and consolidated by the Joint Declaration on Research and Innovationsigned in Rome on April 21, 2026 (see the Agreements).
The mobility program, with a total budget of €500,000, provides for funding of research periods in Italy, lasting three or six months.
A key element of the initiative involves Research Infrastructures (RIs), Technological Innovation Infrastructures, and National Centers supported by the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), where Kenyan researchers can conduct their work. The Research Infrastructures funded under PNRR Investment 3.1 comprise facilities and networks dedicated to numerous scientific and technological fields, ranging from biomedical and environmental sciences to physics, materials science, energy, and nanoscience. Their enhancement aims to provide the scientific community with advanced infrastructure, technologies, and expertise, while also strengthening international collaboration.
Applications from Kenyan researchers will be collected and evaluated by individual Italian institutions participating in the initiative. While MUR has funded the initiative’s overall framework, applications will not be collected through a single national call. The operational phase entails the progressive publication of specific calls for applications by the individual participating Italian universities, research infrastructures, and research institutions. It will therefore be up to the host institutions to define—within their respective calls and according to their own timelines—the scientific fields, research activities, eligibility requirements, and application procedures.
LINK TO THE CALLS
- Deadline 24 September 2026
National Center for Gene Therapy and RNA-based Drugs;
Access the Call