Call for Cumulus Plus Grants South Africa 2025
Cumulus offers three scholarships with its signature scholarship program for university-based colleagues from non-member institutions.
Cumulus is offering a unique opportunity for researchers, academic and administrative staff a country and/or region of the world typically underrepresented within the Cumulus network to enable to participate with a grant in Cumulus Conference Design Intelligence and 5IR in Johannesburg, South Africa on 26-28 November 2025. The applications are due August 16, 2025.
Read more about the conference:
Design Intelligence and 5IR
November 26-28, 2025, Johannesburg, South Africa
Hosted by Hosted by the University of Johannesburg in cooperation with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
Conference theme:
What is the the evolving role of design in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and beyond? As designers and design educators, we are at the forefront of technological revolutions that are transforming society, education, workplaces, and homes. These shifts challenge us to rethink our concepts of work, daily life, and societal structures. As we adapt to the ongoing changes of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), we must also prepare for the emerging Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR).
A critical question emerges: How will designers and design education evolve to develop the knowledge and intelligence needed for this new revolution?
While 4IR focuses on achieving technological efficiency, 5IR aims for a more profound integration of humans and machines, fostering collaboration and co-existence. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things, it is crucial to revisit the importance of Design Intelligence – a uniquely human capability essential for navigating this new landscape. Design Intelligence emphasizes human-centred and humanity-focused innovations, driving the creation of personalised, virtualised products and environments where humans and machines work together seamlessly.
The conference will host 3 sub-themes:
1. Ubuntu
2. Metaverse
3. New Materiality.
Cumulus Plus Grant Program
The Cumulus Plus Grant Program is a unique opportunity for researchers, academic and administrative staff to receive a scholarship to attend a Cumulus Conference and benefit from the knowledge exchange and community-building resulting from meeting the diversity of our Cumulus members. The program is intended to assist colleagues in a country and/or region of the world typically underrepresented within the Cumulus network, opening the door for mutual learning and future collaboration.
Cumulus expands access to its conferences and community through special outreach calls once or twice a year. Cumulus can mobilize three (3) candidates with the grant of max 1.500 €/per person to come over to the Design Intelligence and 5IR conference under the Cumulus umbrella in November 2025.
Candidates should review these terms before considering an application. Grantees must be able to comply with the following requirements if they accept the award.
The candidates sought after should:
1. work on a permanent basis in an academic position or being a staff member in a college or (educating minimum at the BA, bachelor level) or a university in different disciplines of art, design and media. NOTE: if you are currently representing an active Cumulus member, the grant is not meant for you. You may find the list of Cumulus members here.
2. represent a country or region that may have no members in Cumulus,
3. represent a country or region where there is only a small number of members in Cumulus or coming from a new region in that country,
4. show in the letter of the motivation personal as well as institutional commitment to the internationalization of higher education and research in art, design and media and capacity of establishing a permanent bridge between Cumulus, the individual and the home institution of the applicant. We also welcome any other reasoning.
5. If there are any linkages with the existing members or partners of Cumulus, the applicant is welcome to organize a support letter (e-mail etc.) to include in the application materials.
Cumulus keeps the right to reduce the number of grants admitted or to withdraw from granting any for a specific call.
To Present
Cumulus Plus Grantees will be announced to all conference delegates at the start of the conference; they will meet the Cumulus Executive Board and will be invited to consider making a presentation of their work and/or institution in the appropriate venue during the event. These details are coordinated with the Secretariat team depending on each candidate’s preference and profile.
Pre-Conference Life
Each grant holder will organize the traveling and hotel booking themselves, preferably they should stay at the conference hotels. Registration to the conference will be done by the Cumulus secretariat. Contribution to the conference, please see as above and communicate with the secretariat. The hosting organisation UJ will issue an invitation for the visa (please book enough time for the visa application. The official visa documents have to be issued by the host and other institutions in the inviting country; Cumulus can only support the process.) The registration is being done after the program agreement is signed and participation confirmed by the grantee. Please be aware of all visa requirements for your country and for the travel to be organized by you, especially transit flights/travels. You need to hold a valid passport and be able to abide by any appropriate visa entry and health authority requirements from the host country of the conference. You should be available to travel internationally and attend the full duration of the conference (if the conference is held onsite).
NOTE: Grantees are requested to obtain themselves a valid insurance. The grant is not paid in case of no show to the conference.
Post-Conference Life
Grantees agree to submit a “first-person,” reflective contribution about their learnings and any relevant highlights of their experience as Cumulus Plus grantees of the conference. This submission will be credited and published on the Cumulus website and promoted through other channels of the association. The submission may take the form of a short essay (between 500 and 1000 words) and/or visual narrative (video testimonial, short film, photo, or visual essay).
We highly value staying in contact with the Cumulus Plus’ians after the conference. Let us talk when we meet! Check the gallery of our Plus Grantees here.
Each grant holder will invoice the costs with the receipts of the flight, hotel etc. from the Cumulus secretariat after the event as guided by the secretariat and the costs are to be paid to the bank account of the home university or the grant holder after the conference. (Please note that refunds in cash are not possible; please check if you are able to receive an international transfer to your bank account.)
How to apply?
The application consists of the following components, which must be submitted in English:
– A letter of intent providing an explanation for your motivation to participate in the Conference and the overall significance attending the event may have in the development of your academic/professional trajectory and/or positive impact for your institution.
– A nomination letter indicating institutional endorsement of your candidacy from an administrative officer in your institution (i.e., senior administrator, provost, dean, department chair or program director).
– Short biography and for academic applicants, an additional Curriculum vitae.
– Your photo (JPEG or PNG maximum file size is 8 MB; pixel size between 400 x 400 at a minimum).
– Contact information including full name, position title, home institution address, institution website and contact details (email, mobile and social media handles).
Where to send?
Deadline for application: August 16, 2025.
All documents and questions by email to the Cumulus Secretariat to: [email protected] or [email protected].
