About BioCosmos Africa
BioCosmos Africa (BCA) is a Norwegian trust founded in the fall of 2021 for the purpose of establishing and supporting national BioCosmos foundations whose objectives would be to convey knowledge about the scientific theory of Intelligent Design in their own countries. Each daughter foundation is supposed to be administered and run by national academics who would develop and introduce university curricula in Intelligent Design and assist their universities to implement the programs either as stand-alone programs, course units or as part of a course units; encourage and recruit academics to attend the African seminar or apply for the online summer seminar organized by the Discovery Institute to be able to understand the theory of Intelligent Design; organize public lectures in collaboration with their Universities; establish BioCosmos student clubs at universities and organize annual/bi-annual BioCosmos conferences. BioCosmos Africa is thus the mother trust of BioCosmos Kenya (BCK) which was formally founded in April 2022, and BioCosmos Tanzania (BCT) which was formally founded in November 2023.
Overview of the call
BioCosmos Africa is pleased to announce its inaugural Call for Research Proposals aimed at advancing the scientific, philosophical, and interdisciplinary exploration of Intelligent Design (ID). This call invites bold, original, and rigorous research projects that align with the mission of promoting a robust and credible scientific case for Intelligent Design, particularly in the African context. It is open to select African countries, namely Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, to implement research projects that will generate and advance knowledge on Intelligent Design (ID), enhance the understanding of ID in Africa, and produce evidence to inform policymaking while fostering innovative ideas related to ID.
Thematic Areas
Applicants are required to design their research proposals based on one of the following themes:
- Molecular Biology, Genetics and Origins of Life
- Systems Biology, Bioengineering and Biomimetics
- Philosophy of Science, Theology and Culture
- Environmental Design & Ecological Intelligence
- Cosmology, Physics and Fine-Tuning
- Design Detection
- Educational and Pedagogical Approaches
- Bioinformatics
- Cross-cutting issues, Arts, culture etc.
Funding scope and duration - Grants will be awarded in two categories:
a) Small Grants – USD 15,000
b) Medium Grants – USD 50,000 - Project duration will be from 12 to 24 months.
- Funding may cover research costs, fieldwork, data analysis, dissemination, and capacity building.
- BCA reserves the right to cancel this call for proposals at any time without prior notice and/or to not issue any grants under this process.
Eligibility Criteria
Only proposals that meet the eligibility criteria listed below will be considered.
- This call is open to researchers, academics, scientists, educators, and graduate students affiliated to African Academic and Research Institutions and who have attended courses in ID and prior engagement with the theory of Intelligent Design.
- Interdisciplinary teams and collaborative proposals are highly encouraged.
- Applicants must be citizens of the following eligible countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda
- If proposing a consortium, the lead applicant must also demonstrate that his/her organization can transfer funds to other applicant institutions where other consortium members are located.
- Applicants must be eligible to conduct or coordinate independent research in study countries.
Proposal Requirements
All proposals will be expected to have the following sections: - Title of the Project
- Project Summary (350 words max)
- Background and rationale
Introduce the proposal, then discuss the significance or rationale of the research and its practical application to ID. (350 words max) - Statement of the problem
Considering the reviewed literature and the identified research gap(s), state the problem that is going to be addressed by your research. (150 words max) - Research Goal and objectives
Following the stated problem, indicate the objectives of the research project - Research questions/Hypotheses
Following the stated problem, indicate the research questions/hypothesis that will tested - Significance and justification
Show the value and potential impact of your study and why it is necessary and why you are the right person or team to do it. (150 words max) - Research methodology
Describe the way the research questions are going to be answered to meet the objectives of the project. The focus should be on the research design, data collection method(s), instruments/protocols, sample/subject selection and size (for quantitative methods, the sample size must be representative), data analysis and presentation and ethical considerations. (1000 words max) - Expected output, outcomes and contributions to ID
Indicate the tangible, immediate deliverables, the medium-term changes or effects and the long-term significance of the project. - Work plan and timeline
Provide breakdown of key deliverables and milestones and a detailed individualized workplan. - Budget justification
A clearly itemized and realistic budget should be provided, accompanied with detailed budgetary notes to justify items listed in the budget. The budget item lines must be aligned with the research methodology. Local travel should not be more than 30% of the total budget. - Lead applicant’s CV including institutional affiliation and contact details (max 2 pages)
Evaluation Criteria
All proposals will be vetted to establish whether they satisfy the stated requirements in the call. The evaluation criteria listed below will be used by senior academics to evaluate the short-listed proposals and select those that are competitive.
- Relevance to the call themes
- Value added through research collaboration
- Scientific quality and innovation of the research idea linked to ID
- Research methodology
- Competence of the research team to execute the project
- Possible impact of the research (sub-divided below)
a. Scientific paradigm shifts
b. Discovery of novel functional information
c. Technological and biomedical innovations
d. Educational reforms
e. Philosophical and worldview impacts
f. Interdisciplinary integration - Potential for promoting capacity building in Intelligent Design
- Engagement of students and young researchers
Submission Guidelines
- Submit proposals in PDF format to: research@biocosmosafrica.org
- Subject line – BioCosmos Africa ID Grant Proposal – (Insert name of PI and institution)
- For inquiries or clarifications, email: info@biocosmosafrica.org
Key Dates
- Call opens – 4th September 2025
- Deadline for submissions – 6th November 2025
- Notification of results – January 2026
- Project start – February 2026
Click the link below to download the Call for proposal letter and the application form