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Rapid-response call opens as Royal Academy of Engineering announces funding for eight African entrepreneurs
UK Research and Innovation, together with other international funders, has announced the launch of a joint £3.8 million rapid-response call for research into Covid-19 prevention, diagnostics and treatments in Africa.
Led by the National Research Foundation of South Africa, the Covid-19 Africa Rapid Grant Fund includes a component to “bolster science and health in efforts to produce and disseminate accurate and timely information about Covid-19 for the public”, UKRI announced on 22 May.
“The fund will help to ensure researchers from across Africa are empowered to investigate the local repercussions of and responses to Covid-19 and to find solutions to the threat the pandemic presents to lives as well as livelihoods,” said Andrew Thompson, UKRI’s international champion. “Their findings will not only be crucial for their individual countries but to international efforts to overcome the pandemic too.”
Other partners include Canada’s International Development Research Centre, the Québec Research Funds, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the UK government’s Department for International Development and the Science Granting Councils Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa. UKRI’s contribution comes through the Newton Fund.
Meanwhile, the Royal Academy of Engineering has announced the first winners in its Covid Africa Rapid Entrepreneurs initiative, also known as Project Care, to support engineering innovation to fight the virus.
A total of eight African entrepreneurs—including five women—have each received £5,000 in funding to support them in pivoting or scaling up their business model, the academy announced on 26 May. They include Catherine Wanjoya, whose company Silmak Agencies in Kenya will investigate the use of incinerators to safely dispose of used personal protective equipment on site.
“Alongside the medical professionals who risk their lives daily to do battle with this virus, engineers have important roles to play in managing and mitigating the impacts of the disease,” said Hayaatun Sillem, chief executive of the academy.
“Our goal for Project Care is to marshal the knowledge and expertise of our fellows and wider network of engineers to enhance the response to Covid-19, in this case supporting our network of motivated and talented young engineering entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa to apply their skills to the challenge.”