SGCI News
African countries are working to strengthen research quality, ethical practice, and grant management through the Research Excellence and Good Financial Grant Practices Workshop. The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), together…
African countries are working to strengthen research quality, ethical practice, and grant management through the Research Excellence and Good Financial Grant Practices Workshop.
The Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), together with the Association of African Universities and Senegal’s Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, organised the workshop from November 26-28, in Dakar, Senegal.
Representatives from Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe participated in sessions covering research ethics, grant management, and impact planning.
Hamidou Duff, the director general of Research at Senegal’s Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, identified ongoing research financing problems as a key obstacle to advancing Africa’s development priorities during the workshop’s opening.
He described initiatives like SGCI as vital platforms for strengthening national systems and promoting ethical practice.
The workshop is focused on practical institutional assessments, with participants examining what constitutes an “impact-healthy research institution” and identifying steps to address weak impact culture within their organisations.
Discussions also highlighted how research institutions can create measurable change in policies, systems, and communities rather than producing findings that go unapplied.
Ruth Issambo Nyarko, project coordinator for SGCI at the Association of African Universities, highlighted the strategic partnerships and shared purpose that continue to shape the councils’ collective journey.
She said the workshop serves as a platform for shared learning and strengthening research impact across Africa, extending beyond technical training to include relationship-building among councils.
The workshop emphasises that research impact must be intentional and planned from early stages, with stakeholders involved to ensure findings address gaps and create tangible change.
Please check out the stories and let us know what you think. We would love to hear from you!
Let’s continue the conversation on our social media
Published on 25 November 2025
Related News
Kenya’s patent data tells a story we cannot ignore
A landmark analysis of three decades of Kenyan patent data reveals a widening innovation gap that demands urgent policy action, argues Maurice Bolo, director of the Scinnovent Centre, Kenya, with implications that SGCI researchers and policymakers across the continent cannot afford to ignore. As the…
New findings fuel momentum for women in Ghana’s STEM careers
Rose Omari was one of two girls in a class of forty. Decades later, the imbalance remains When she first chose to study science, she did not yet have the language for gender disparity, but she could see it clearly. In a secondary school classroom…
Kenya’s NRF explores research chairs programme
Kenya’s National Research Fund (NRF) is taking early steps toward establishing a national Research Chairs programme in priority sectors, signalling a shift toward more structured, long-term investment in research capacity. A continental partnership for education reform NRF Kenya partnered in the launch of Harnessing Education…
Research and Resources
SGCI funded projects
Rwanda’s integrated approach to sustainable agriculture and nutrition
Project Titles & Institution Areas of Research Number of Projects being funded Project Duration Grant Amount In-Kind Distribution Council Collaboration with other councils
