The International Water Association (IWA) opens the third cohort of their fellowship for Young Water Professionals aged 18 to 35. This cohort focuses on innovation and uptake of technology in the water sector, in three areas: applied research and product or solution innovation, financial mechanisms and business models, and capacity building. Applicants need an existing idea, prototype or early pilot addressing a water challenge. The fellowship is expected to cover economy flights, meals, single-occupancy accommodation, ground transport, travel insurance and visa fees for required travel. Applications close on 05 November 2026. Youth Action for SDG 6 Fellowship
Category: Water Resources
The Freshwater Biodiversity Information System for Africa (FBIS Africa) offers small grants of US$5,000 to US$10,000 to publish existing African freshwater biodiversity data that is not yet on GBIF. Funds cover data collation and digitisation, cleaning and quality control, georeferencing, metadata preparation and formatting. Eligible data holders include universities, research institutions, museums, government agencies, NGOs, freshwater programmes, and individual researchers working through an eligible host institution. Eligible groups are freshwater fishes, amphibians, molluscs, crustaceans, and the insect orders Odonata, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Megaloptera. Applications close on 09 November 2026. Link
- Tags: Africa, biodiversity, nonprofit orgs, november2026, research, universities, water
Onewater, UNESCO’s World Water Assessment Programme and UNEP invite photographers worldwide to submit photo stories on water and health, with a focus on wastewater: sanitation, polluted rivers, nature-based treatment, resource recovery and wastewater surveillance for pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. Prizes range from $200 to $3,000, with a separate Youth Wastewater Award for photographers aged 25 or under. Each entry needs 5 to 10 photographs, a 2,500 to 8,000 character story, captions and a signed photo license. Entries close on 29 November 2026. Water Photostory Contest
- Tags: awards/prizes, media/journalism, november2026, water, worldwide, youth
The Rotary Foundation partners with UNESCO to offer funding for master’s studies in water and sanitation. Applicants for Rotary’s support must be provisionally admitted to one of the three participating degree programs at UNESCO’s Institute for Water Education (IHE). Students apply via their local Rotary club or district. Each award is approximately €34 thousand, paid directly to UNESCO-IHE. The deadline for submitting Rotary scholarship applications is 15 March 2027. Find the Application Process
The IHE Delft/FirstRand Scholarship provides full funding for one South African student a year to study for an MSc in Water and Sustainable Development at the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. Before applying for the scholarship, prospective students first need to apply and be admitted to the MSc in Water and Sustainable Development from IHE Delft. The closing date for scholarship applications is 25 February 2027. Know more
The Coca-Cola Foundation’s priority areas for grant-making are women, well-being, and water. Past projects include grants for access to clean water and sanitation; watershed management in water-stressed areas; multiple-use systems for water; and education and awareness in water conservation. Grants are generally made to tax-exempt nonprofit charitable organizations. Grant seekers apply for cash grants or fund-raising sponsorships. Coca-Cola’s regional and country foundations share these global priorities and add others, mainly in areas of education, health, and environment. Applications can be submitted at any time. Link
- Tags: community projects, no deadline, nonprofit orgs, water, women, worldwide
The Young Water Diplomats Program is an interdisciplinary training and networking program for early-career diplomats engaged in international water and environmental politics. The program features online and in-person learning activities to enhance participants’ understanding of transboundary water challenges and advance their ability to use tools for water cooperation and diplomacy. There are a limited number of fellowships for applicants from low- and middle-income countries. The application deadline is 29 November 2026. Young Water Diplomats Program
The Erasmus Mundus Master’s programs Flood Risk Management (FRM) and Groundwater and Global Change (GroundwatCh) are open for application. All four programs include studies at three institutions in three different countries. Scholarships are available on a competitive basis. Applications have to be submitted by 03 January 2027. EMJM Scholarships
The ABCD-Centre offers two nine-month research scholarships in Germany. They are for doctoral students from developing countries, to research water security and climate adaptation at RWTH Aachen, TU Dresden or UNU Resource Nexus in Dresden. Each scholarship pays €1,200 a month for accommodation and living costs, up to €105 a month for insurance and up to €1,000 for travel. A further €1,000 for research materials goes through the host institution. Applicants must be full-time PhD students at a university in a developing country who started their PhD within the last three years. Priority topics include water infrastructure modelling and digital twins, ecosystem monitoring, urban climate-driven water extremes, business models for unconventional water resources, and eco-friendly building materials. The deadline is 31 October 2026. Future Environmental Leaders Scholarships
Imagine H2O invites early-stage water startups from anywhere in the world to apply for its 2027 accelerator programs. It offers mentorship, training, introductions to a network of technology adopters and investors, and showcase opportunities at industry events. It takes no equity, and no cash award is stated. Startups must be under 10 years old, with revenue under US$5 million and equity investment under US$10 million. Meetings run on Pacific time mornings, which means evenings for African applicants. Applications close 20 November 2026. Water Startup Accelerator