NRF champions science, climate action and youth empowerment

Kenya’s National Research Fund (NRF) is strengthening efforts to connect scientific research, innovation and youth participation with practical responses to climate and environmental challenges.

NRF chief executive officer Dickson Andala represented the fund at the launch of the Climate Policy and Advocacy Training – Cohort I, hosted by AfriYouth Care Group at the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) in Nairobi on 25 September.

The launch brought together young climate advocates, researchers and partners to explore the role of evidence, science and innovation in addressing climate change and strengthening community resilience.

Delivering the keynote address, Kenya’s Second Lady, H.E. Dr Joyce G. N. Kithure, reaffirmed the importance of science, evidence, innovation and partnerships in developing effective responses to the country’s climate and environmental challenges.

The event was hosted by KISE and welcomed by its director, Norman Kiogora. Among the participants was David K. Kariuki from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Nairobi, alongside researchers, youth advocates and other partners working on climate and environmental issues.

The engagement highlights the importance of investing not only in research and innovation but also in young people who can translate knowledge into action within their communities.

Climate change is placing increasing pressure on communities across Africa, creating a need for solutions that are grounded in local evidence and can be applied at community level. Research institutions and funding agencies therefore have an important role in supporting knowledge generation while creating opportunities for young people to participate in climate policy, advocacy and innovation.

Through its engagement with initiatives that promote science and youth participation, NRF is positioning research and innovation as tools for addressing development challenges and supporting Kenya’s climate ambitions.

The fund’s participation also reflects a broader recognition that tackling climate change requires collaboration between researchers, policymakers, young people, communities and organisations working on the ground.

Kithure has continued to champion the use of science and technology through initiatives such as SaVE Communities, which seeks to promote practical solutions that can improve the wellbeing and resilience of communities.

The Climate Policy and Advocacy Training provides a platform for young people to strengthen their understanding of climate policy and advocacy while engaging with researchers and other stakeholders. Such capacity-building can help create a stronger pipeline of young voices contributing to climate discussions and decision-making.

For NRF, supporting this connection between research, innovation and youth empowerment is part of ensuring that scientific knowledge contributes to solutions that respond to real community needs.

The engagement comes as African countries increasingly seek to strengthen the links between science, technology and innovation and national development priorities, including climate resilience and environmental sustainability.

By supporting research and creating opportunities for young people to engage with evidence and policy, research funding institutions such as NRF can help ensure that climate responses are informed by science while remaining relevant to the communities they are intended to serve.

The engagement also reflects the wider objectives of the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI),which supports African science granting councils to strengthen their capacity to fund research, shape evidence-informed policies and build partnerships that respond to national development priorities.

Through stronger research systems and investment in locally relevant science and innovation, SGCI and its partner councils are helping position research as a driver of solutions to challenges including climate change, environmental sustainability and youth employment.

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Published on 14 October 2026

By Jackie Opara-Fatoye