Management of research and innovation funds by Commission for Science and Technology – Tanzania

The Science Granting Councils Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI) is a multi-donor initiative funded by IDRC, the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, South Africa’s National Research Foundation, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the German Research Foundation. Since its inception in 2015, the SGCI has been strengthening the capacities of science granting councils in sub-Saharan African countries to support research and evidence-based policies that will contribute to economic and social development. Specifically, the initiative has been strengthening the capacities of councils in research management; use of data and evidence in policy and decision-making; funding research and innovation projects; strategic communications and knowledge translation; and gender equality and inclusivity.

As part of the SGCI’s second phase, IDRC and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation agreed on a new partnership to deepen and extend SGCI’s strategic engagements with up to 17 councils over a period of four years (2022–2025) in areas that are complementary to ongoing SGCI activities. These areas include supporting the councils to fund and manage research and innovation projects.

The overall goal of this project is to support Tanzania’s Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) to manage research calls in priority areas that are aligned with the country’s national research agenda and COSTECH’s strategic plan. These areas will include climate-smart technologies, smart agriculture and artificial intelligence. The calls are also expected to strengthen COSTECH’s research management capacity while promoting collaboration with private sector actors and the involvement of women in research and innovation. This project will be implemented over a duration of 33 months with a budget of approximately CAD 575,000.