19/05/2026
Calling African researchers, engineers, and practitioners — LINGUA Africa (https://lnkd.in/d_WHjKzH) is OPEN for applications and deadline is approaching fast!
If you've been working on African languages and key societal challenges, such as agriculture, education, finance, public services, healthcare, and wondering how to bring AI and Natural Language Processing to limited-resource language settings, this is your chance.
LINGUA Africa is a collaboration between Microsoft Lab, the Gates Foundation, Masakhane African Languages Hub, and Google.org, is now accepting proposals to strengthen the language foundations needed for inclusive AI across Africa.
Thousands of African languages remain underrepresented in AI systems. When your language isn't in the model, you're excluded from the digital future. We want to change that - together.
💰 What's on offer:
• Data creation: up to $50K + $50K in compute credits • Model or tool development: up to $100K + $100K in compute credits
• Sectoral applications (real-world deployment): up to $250K + $400K in compute credits
🎯 Who should apply:
Nonprofits, universities, research institutes, social enterprises, startups, cultural organizations, and consortia working in the public interest. We strongly encourage collaborative proposals that bring together complementary expertise — cross-domain partnerships, community engagement, and credible paths to impact.
Applications are open to organizations based in Africa and outside Africa (provided meaningful partnership with Africa-based institutions).
🔑 Priority areas:
🌾 Agriculture & food security 📚 Education 🏥 Healthcare & public health 💳 Financial inclusion 🏛️ Government & civic services
📅 Deadline: 15 June 2026
Don't wait. Bold ideas that connect language resources to real-world outcomes are exactly what we're looking for.
🔗 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/dXDJyUHM
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