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Effective research communication is central to ensuring that science informs policy, reaches communities, and inspires the next generation of scientists. Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), members are increasingly experimenting with creative, people-centred ways of making research more visible, accessible, and relevant beyond academic circles and as a core function of national science systems. One such…

The National Research Fund (NRF) leadership, last week, joined the principal secretary of the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Haukat Abdulrazak, on a strategic visit to Konza Technopolis, Kenya’s flagship innovation ecosystem and a cornerstone of the country’s ambition to become a knowledge-based economy. The visit, led by NRF chief executive officer Dickson…

As African countries confront increasingly complex development challenges ranging from climate change and health security to food systems, digital transformation, and economic diversification, the need for strong, responsive national science funding institutions has never been more urgent. Science granting councils sit at the centre of this challenge, shaping how research is prioritised, funded, governed, and…

As the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) prepares to roll out a new phase of activities, we revisit some of our most-read stories highlighting how stronger research systems, innovation, and climate-resilient science are delivering impact across Africa. From strengthening national research systems and financing mechanisms to supporting farmer-led innovation and climate-resilient agriculture, these top-performing stories…

As we step into 2026, research-driven innovation continues to shape how communities respond to long-standing development challenges, from health and food security to climate resilience, jobs, and sustainable industry. Backed by the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), these projects show how local science, when aligned with national priorities, can generate practical solutions with lasting impact.…

Across Africa, locally driven research is delivering practical solutions to some of the continent’s most pressing development challenges, from food security and clean energy to livelihoods and industrial efficiency. Supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), these innovations show how targeted funding, skills development, and researcher–community collaboration can translate ideas into impact. This third…

Strengthening national science granting councils is emerging as one of the most effective pathways for improving how African countries finance and govern science for development. This was the focus of the thematic session on Financing Science for Impact held during the Science Forum South Africa (SFSA) Side Event from 24 to 28 November at the CSIR…

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…

The Fund for Science, Technology and Innovation (FONSTI) opened the audition phase for the FONSTI Innovation Prize 2025, marking a decisive moment in a process launched earlier this year to strengthen Côte d’Ivoire’s innovation ecosystem. The auditions follow the official launch of the inaugural Innovation Prize on 8 April 2025, when the Council’s secretary general,…

With the growing need to improve the quality, integrity, and impact of scientific work in the country, the Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ) has convened a three-day Research Excellence and Research Ethics Workshop aimed at strengthening governance and ethical standards across the national research system. Held from 27–29 October 2025 in Harare, the workshop gathered…