Economic Commission of Africa will award one-year research grants to 15 African climate researchers of up to $130,000 in a bid to accelerate and support climate science research in the continent.
The ambitious project is part of the ECA’s Climate Research for Development (CR4D) in Africa initiative, which was conceptualised at the Africa Climate Conference in 2013 as a mechanism to strengthen links between climate science research and climate information needs to support development planning in Africa.
The CR4D initiative addresses climate research priority areas that have been identified in Africa by African researchers. It is also supported by The African Academy of Sciences (The AAS), the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa (WISER) programme and the Africa Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) of the ECA.
Through The AAS Rising Research Leaders programme, grantees will be supported to develop as independent research leaders through training, mentoring, and networking opportunities that will enable international collaborations.
Candidates must be hosted by or affiliated with a university, research institute or other eligible institution of higher education in Africa. They must hold a PhD in climate or related sciences and/or have a proven track record of high-quality, impactful research in a relevant field.
Over the next year, CR4D will support research into identified priority areas for climate change and development linkages. The research will cover foundational climate science, impacts, information and research translation and engagement with policy and decision-making communities.
The goal is to produce research outputs that inform policy in climate sensitive sectors to better prepare Africa to deal with the impacts of climate change.
