Funding for artificial intelligence education and research across Africa and South America is supported through philanthropic organizations, corporate sponsorships, and dedicated community grants. Prominent initiatives include the Deep Learning Indaba in Africa and Khipu in Latin America, both of which raise funds to make AI education and academic gatherings accessible to students and researchers.
Scholarship Overview
Deep Learning Indaba relies on corporate, development, and philanthropic funding to provide scholarships, mentorship, travel grants, and local IndabaX events. Backers have included organizations such as Microsoft, Google, and the Gates Foundation, which awarded a $100,000 grant in August 2025 to support the annual African AI gathering. Additionally, Google announced a $37 million package in July 2025 that allocated $7 million to AI education and $5 million to research entities, including Masakhane ($3 million), the University of Pretoria ($1 million), and the University of the Witwatersrand ($1 million).
Who Can Apply
Eligibility varies depending on the specific gathering or research grant:
- Khipu 2027: Primarily aimed at AI students and researchers, selecting roughly 300 student participants out of more than 1,000 applicants.
- Deep Learning Indaba: Targets the African machine learning and AI community. Specific academic qualifications or age limits are not specified in the source; please check the official notice.
Benefits
The extent of funding depends on the organizing body:
- Deep Learning Indaba: Sponsorship covers travel funding and accommodation. For example, the 2024 Dakar event provided 200 full travel scholarships and 317 accommodation grants. Specific individual grant amounts are not specified in the source; please check the official notice.
- Khipu 2027: Event attendance is completely free, and corporate sponsorship money pays for student travel.
How to Apply
Application procedures, submission portals, and official deadlines are not specified in the source; please check the official notice.
Source: fully funded scholarships 2026 - BingNews · Published October 17, 2026 · Photo by Ken Lund via Openverse
Always confirm deadlines and eligibility on the official scholarship website.