Enhancing the network and regional impact of science granting councils in Africa

 

Since 2015, the Science Granting Councils Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI) has involved collaboration between several funders, namely the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, IDRC, South Africa’s National Research Foundation, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the German Research Foundation and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. Councils from across East, Southern and West Africa have participated in SGCI to strengthen their capacities to support research and evidence-based policies that can contribute to economic and social development.

Networking among councils helps strengthen linkages across the continent and enables peer learning and gathering of lessons learned. The annual forum for SGCI is the main vehicle for these networking opportunities. It is also an opportunity for collaborating technical agencies to engage directly with councils, and for enhancing the visibility of SGCI, especially among key funders and stakeholders. Finally, it is the vehicle for an executive seminar session, whereby external experts present insights on a topic of particular interest to councils, contributing to developing thought leadership within SGCI.

This project will enable support for two annual fora in 2024 and 2025, in collaboration with the local hosts. It will also provide for the upcoming regional meeting, to be held online in the summer of 2024. In addition, building on the recent review of the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA 2024), which highlighted the importance of SGCI for the future of African science, the project also provides support for the development of STISA-2034. This means ensuring that the perspectives of science granting councils and the knowledge and insights from SGCI will directly contribute to shaping the next overarching framework for science, technology and innovation policy in Africa.