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East Africa’s researchers among Flair fellows

Saturday May 16 2020
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While the African researchers will study topics such as sustainable agriculture and fisheries, addressing water shortages to mitigate climate change, clean energy, and health, the East African scientists will focus on food security, renewable energy, antimicrobial resistance as well as maternal and child mortalities. FOTOSEARCH

By Elizabeth Merab

Seven scientists from East Africa are among 29 African researchers who have been awarded the Future Leaders – African Independent Research (Flair) fellowship.

The seven early career researchers (five Kenyans and two Ugandans) are among a team drawn from Sudan, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Cameroon, South Africa, and Ghana.

They will each get up to $391,500 to carry out research that is focused on the needs of the continent for a period of two years, according to the African Academy of Sciences (AAS).

While the African researchers will study topics such as sustainable agriculture and fisheries, addressing water shortages to mitigate climate change, clean energy, and health, the East African scientists will focus on food security, renewable energy, antimicrobial resistance as well as maternal and child mortalities.

The 29 are the second cohort to receive the funding from AAS and Royal Society, supported by the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) that was introduced last year to provide funding to young African scientists for cutting-edge scientific research in developing countries.

“The AAS welcomes the new cohort of Flair grantees to our growing postdoctoral family. Postdoctoral programmes are vital in training and developing early career researchers whose scientific leadership will influence policies that promote the socio-economic development of the continent,” said Nelson Torto, executive director of the AAS.

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The 2020 fellow were selected from a pool of more than 400 applicants.

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