Research initiatives/academic groups
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The DRFN provides research-based advice and training aimed at sustainable development policymakers in southern Africa. The organisation's areas of focus include managing rangelands and livestock, water, energy efficiency and combating land degradation and desertification. The DRFN also helps raise public awareness of deserts and desertification.
ASSAf promotes all disciplines of scientific thinking and is recognised as a prestigious national network of top ranking scientists. The academy has two publications ― Quest and South African Journal of Science ― and produces regular reports and a newsletter, Science for Society. Research funding and national events are listed and the academy hosts guest lectures. There are two annual awards for outstanding achievement.
The Africa Genome Initiative is an Africa-wide research programme designed to further Africa's involvement in the Human Genome Project. Run by the South African Human Sciences Research Council, the Intiative organises an annual conference and publishes the magazine,
African Scientist.
Africa Harvest — founded by Kenyan scientist Florence Wambugu — supports policy development and scientific and institutional capacity building across East Africa and promotes the use of modern biotechnologies to help the region's farmers. The foundation's flagship project uses tissue culture technology to reproduce disease-free banana plants for distribution across East Africa.
It also runs a communication and advocacy programme to promote public acceptance of biotechnologies — especially genetic modification. The organisation publishes information about its tree-planting programme in Kenya and links to other African and international organisations working in biotechnology.
The African AIDS Vaccine Programme was conceived in June 2000 as a network of African experts, working together to promote and facilitate HIV vaccine research and evaluation in Africa. Sponsored by WHO-UNAIDS, its mission is to advocate and support a coordinated effort to contribute to the global HIV vaccine development goals, ensuring that appropriate and affordable vaccines are developed for Africa in the shortest possible time.
The ACTS is an international, intergovernmental think-tank based in Nairobi that publishes and disseminates new information on science, technology and environmental policy. It runs research and capacity-building programmes in biodiversity and environmental governance, science and technology literacy, energy and water security, agriculture and food security, technological advances and health policy. It is also involved in national, regional and international outreach activities, working with universities and governments in Africa and beyond.
AMANET promotes capacity building in African research and training institutes that specialise in malaria studies. Its objectives include promoting collaboration among stakeholders, creating international awareness about the malaria problem in Africa, identifying test sites, developing infrastructure and support for field and clinical trials, and increasing good management practices in malaria research. AMANET produces a biannual online newsletter to disseminate research findings and grant and workshop calls. It also hosts a discussion forum for registered members.
AMMANET promotes using genetic marker-assisted selection (MAS) technologies to accelerate African plant breeding efforts and deliver food security and economic growth. Over 100 African scientists established the network in 2003, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation.
The network brings regional and international agricultural researchers together, publishing information about its activities and providing contact information of all its members. It also links to news, scientific articles and other useful resources on MAS.
The AAU, based in Accra, promotes consultation, exchange of information and cooperation among higher education institutes in Africa. It provides fellowships and small grants for postgraduate studies and staff exchanges. It also runs programmes to study higher education management and assure the quality of its member institutions. The website gives summaries of all these activities and links to AAU newsletters and publications. It also offers a list of online resources relevant to higher education in Africa.
The e-Africa Commission is part of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), charged with managing the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Africa. It is responsible for developing and overseeing policies and strategies for the ICT sector. It also runs both the NEPAD e-schools initiative to teach ICT to Africans in primary and secondary education, and the NEPAD ICT infrastructure programme, aiming to connect all African countries to a broadband network.
The Gobabeb Training and Research Centre aims to understand the relationship between the ecology of arid environments and human activities. Its areas of focus include developing appropriate technologies that can help improve quality of life, such as fog-collection and alternative energy sources. The centre is attached to the Southern Africa Development Community, the intergovernmental organisation representing countries in southern Africa. It is also associated with the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia.
This non-profit organisation aims to develop sustainable ecological farming in Africa and India. ICRISAT's mission is "to help empower 600 million poor people to overcome hunger, poverty and a degraded environment in the dry tropics through better agriculture".
ICRISAT's BioPower initiative aims to ensure that bioenergy research benefits the poor. Its activities include analysing bioenergy trends and understanding their repercussions for the poor, and enabling governments to formulate pro-bioenergy policies that benefit poor people.
This site is maintained by the Kenya Meteorological Department and contains short term weather forecasts, seasonal forecasts, and agro-meteorological data. Other climatological data is available from the website upon request.
PlantBio is a grant-making initiative from the South African Department of Science and Technology. It aims to develop a strong and sustainable plant biotechnology sector in South Africa by promoting new products and services, incubating commercial programmes and new businesses, building scientific capacity and developing human resources.
PlantBio prioritises technologies aimed at alleviating poverty and improving food security — for example, biofertilisers, plant breeding, tissue culture and genetic modification. The organisation encourages collaborating institutes to build national capacities and consolidate costs.
It publishes information on how to apply for funding and hosts a useful page of links to South African biotech investors, business incubators, funding agencies and service providers.
The South Africa MRC conducts research within the framework of the following six programmes: environment and health, health systems and policy, infection and immunity, molecules to disease, non-communicable diseases, and women and child health.
Click here for information on funding opportunities. The website also hosts a section on
ethics and human rights, featuring the Council's current guidelines.
A lead programme of the South Africa, Medical Research Council, SAAVI is committed to the research, development and testing of HIV/AIDS vaccines, working with national and international partners. Its website contains full descriptions of the scientific, clinical and ethical approaches being taken for the development of HIV vaccines tailored to local strains of HIV, including contact details of the researchers involved, funding and updates on progress.
The CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) is the largest community and industry directed scientific and technological research, development and implementation organisation in Africa and currently undertakes approximately 10 per cent of all research and development work on the continent. As a key provider of information and technology solutions, the CSIR plays an integral part in the development of South Africa as a nation and the Southern African Development Community.
SANBI's role is to bring genome information, computational biology, and analytical tools to the South African research community, and to conduct genomic analysis relevant to South African health research and biotechnology. It aims to raise awareness of genome biology, develop analysis systems relevant to South Africa (for example, by providing web-based database tools), develop human resources in bioinformatics (particularly graduate students), and to conduct topical research.
Indigenous Knowledge Systems is a special focus of the National Research Foundation (NRF) in South Africa. The NRF aims to: develop theoretical and methodological paradigms within which to understand the specific characteristics of IK; shed light on the role of IK in nation-building; develop research capacity in the field of IK in South Africa.
The Southern African Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF) is a regional seasonal weather outlook prediction and application process adopted by the fourteen countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States.
The site provides access to weather forecasts and climate predictions and features weather warnings, mid-season rainfall analysis and rainfall review reports to mitigate extreme climatic conditions.
