Research council supports South Africa’s young researchers

2P88H4H Health worker Xolisa Madikane tests blood for the HIV virus at a container lab next to the Gugulethu Community Health Clinic in Gugulethu on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, July 21, 2009. South Africa launched a high-profile trial of an AIDS vaccine created by its own researchers Monday, a proud moment in a nation where government denial, neglect and unscientific responses have helped fuel the world's worst AIDS crisis. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

The Human Science Research Council helps emerging social science researchers hone their skills. 1 Emerging researchers in social sciences face funding and publishing challenges 2 Mentors from the Human Science Research Council are helping overcome these 3 The HSRC research conference showcases ‘real-world’ research findings [ACCRA] The Human Science Research Council (HSRC) says it is…

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Connecting with the convictions that drive gender transformative work

An event participant signing Gender Mainstreaming Seminar in Tanzania, Africa signs an event banner on May 18, 2015. More: United States Army Africa (USARAF) co-hosted the conference, along side the Tanzanian Peoples Defense Force, in an effort to frame the importance of gender mainstreaming and promote equality throughout the region. (DoD News photo by SSgt Brian Kimball). Original public domain image from Flickr

At a recent workshop involving 13 African science granting councils it emerged that a deepening understanding of and commitment to the concepts of gender equality and inclusivity is starting to produce tangible – and valuable – outcomes A workshop in Cape Town saw  13 national science granting councils in Africa successfully present the first drafts…

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STI gender transformation and green energy transitions

Delivering Sun King solar lighting products to the market on rural road, Longisa, Bomet county, Kenya. Credit: Corrie Wingate Photography/SolarAid

Hildegalda Mushi, senior researcher at the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), shares her reflections on the impact of a panel discussion on the green energy transition involving members of the Science Granting Councils Initiative’s Gender Equality and Inclusion (SGCI GEI) Project at the Gender Summit in Ghana. Science granting councils participating in the…

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Wisdom on tap: Meet ‘the PACC’

A new GEI Project advisory committee has been established that aims to take advantage of the strategic insights of all project members and gives expression to the foundational values of peer-learning and co-creation. The first meeting of the Science Granting Council Initiative Gender Equality and Inclusion (SGCI GEI) Project Advisory Collaborating Committee (PACC) was held…

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A ‘big picture’ view on research ecosystems

Locally trained assistants participate in on-farm research activities. Photo by Gordon Ajonina / CDKNetwork

Q&A with DR LILIAN HUNT Dr Lilian Hunt – Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Science and Health (EDIS) lead at the Wellcome Trust in the UK and Chair of the Advisory Board of the Gender Equality and Inclusivity (GEI) Project of the Science Granting Council Initiative (SGCI) led by the Human Science Research Council in…

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Research award winners take on water crisis, cancer

Communal tap for drinking water Soweto, South Africa Photo courtesy of SuSana Secretariat

Award-winning South African researchers discuss their work tackling water scarcity and cancer. 1 Chemical engineer Nomthandazo Sibiya tackles South African water crisis 2 Her research on metals in wastewater won her a National Research Foundation Award 3 Awards also recognised research into pancreatic and gallbladder cancers [NAIROBI] Water scarcity is a huge problem for many…

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Low-tech health app engages the hard-to-reach

Screenshot of PENSA’s mHealth platform

[LAGOS] Five years after its launch, PENSA—a mobile app developed in Mozambique— has been accessed by more than four million people, emerging as the country’s premier digital health platform. The mobile application is enabling remote and underserved communities in the country to receive essential healthcare information and services, even using low-tech phones with limited functions,…

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‘Institutional change’ needed to meet gender equity goals

CC4RHE Women participate in a march marking international women's day in Mubende, Uganda, East Africa.

[CAPE TOWN] Gender researchers say urgent action is needed, including targeted funding, data collection, and institutional policy changes, to ramp up progress on gender equality, dealt a major blow by COVID-19. A report by UN Women warns that the world is far off track to meeting its goal of gender equality by 2030, with more…

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How Uganda is unlocking its research potential for long-term development and prosperity

HEP35P A research physician at Makerere University Walter Reed Project in Uganda discusses the Ebola vaccine study with a potential volunteer. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Military HIV Research Program) Physician at Makerere University Walter Reed Project in Uganda discusses the Ebola vaccine study 150515-A-XX999-002

Uganda’s National Research Outlook Report 2023 shows that Science, technology and innovation are set to play a vital role in the country’s socioeconomic development. The report, compiled by Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST), helps to identify system gaps in Uganda’s science and technology capacity. Addressing these gaps will help Uganda build resilience…

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Ending gender inequality in science in Africa

Further efforts are needed to tackle the inequalities in treatment that persist between men and women despite the progress made in recent years. In its 2022 National Research Outlook Report, the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) highlights that the proportion of women in the country’s research and higher education institutions has increased…

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