Background 

The National Research Fund (NRF) is pleased to announce a call for proposals on “AI in cultural heritage: The integration of AI into the conservation of cultural heritage in Kenya.” Kenya boasts a rich and diverse cultural heritage, but it faces threats from modernization, globalization, and societal shifts. Languages are fading, traditions are eroded, and historical artefacts are at risk. AI offers a promising avenue to safeguard and promote this heritage.

The NRF Kenya Call on Artificial Intelligence for Cultural Heritage (KAICH) invites submissions from researchers, professionals, and practitioners interested in advancing the use of AI in cultural heritage conservation. This call seeks to promote interdisciplinary research on both tangible and intangible heritage, utilizing AI models, tools, and methodologies for conservation, study, and broader public access to cultural heritage (CH). In addition to exploring the technical applications, the call will focus on ethical and sustainability issues, fostering a dialogue that includes diverse stakeholder perspectives to create inclusive CH practices. The call seeks proposals that will encourage knowledge-sharing and the exchange of best practices among the cultural heritage and the computing community, with the aim of building synergies with related initiatives. NRF welcomes proposals contributing to the national growth of AI applications in cultural heritage.

Scope 

1. Language Preservation
2. Cultural Documentation and Digital Archiving
3. Oral Histories and Storytelling
4. Ethical and Cultural Sensitivity
5. Cultural Education and Public Engagement 
6. Economic and Policy Research
7. Intellectual Property Rights Management

Eligibility 

The NRF is committed to promoting Multidisciplinary, Multi-institutional research partnerships between public institutions, researchers and the private sector. Research teams are encouraged to submit proposals that will lead to collaborative research projects to enhance the uptake of the potential interventions

Grant Amount 

The budget available for this call is KES. 15 million. Five projects will be funded, up to a maximum of KES. 3 million.

Deadline 

All applications for this call must be submitted by 14th March 2025. Applications can only be made using the official application template. Applications should be submitted to NRF through grants@nrf.go.ke.

For more details Kindly access  the NRF Website , www.nrf.go.ke.