The Grants Independent Technical Committee (GITC)

To facilitate the implementation of RSIF’s  Research and Innovation Grants component of the program, and to ensure its objectives are met, RSIF established a Grants Independent Technical Committee (GITC). The GITC provides technical advice to the RSIF on the implementation of the grants and other RSIF components as needed. The GITC comprises eminent individuals selected based on their expertise relevant to supporting RSIF to achieve the intended objectives. The committee provides technical support to RSIF on the review, selection and award of research and innovation grants.

The GITC comprises seven (7) members with expertise in the following fields; (a) Engineering sciences, (b) Agriculture and environmental sciences, (c) Social sciences and humanities, (d) ICTs, (e) Higher education representative and (f)two industry/ private sector representatives with experience in innovation and commercialization of knowledge.

View the profiles of RSIF Research and Innovations Grants Independent Technical Committee (GITC) members.

icipe led consortium wins funding to “unlock” the transformative potential of digital technologies

icipe, the Regional Coordination Unit for the Regional Scholarships and Innovation Fund has been selected by the European Union financed ACP Innovation Fund for “Accelerating inclusive green growth through agri-based digital innovations in Western Africa”. Partners are Agropolis Foundation, Gearbox Pan African Network and University Abomey-Calavi. At least Euro 2,730,000 will be sub-awarded to eligible West African entities through competitive calls for proposals. Grantees will also benefit from transfer of skills, know-how and experience.

Unlocking the Transformative Potential of Digital Technologies
Digitizing agriculture is an opportunity to transform agriculture and boost employment for youth entering the labour market. There is need for coordinated efforts of public and private sector actors to unlock the potential of digital technologies, including big data analytics and machine learning, block chain, robotics and drones.
“A food systems approach, which looks at various segments of food production and consumption, coupled with application of transformative digital innovations, is a an important way to address the multiple challenges of poverty, food and nutrition insecurity, in a growing world population while reducing negative externalities on the environment and human health”, says Dr. Moses Osiru, RSIF manager, icipe.
The initiative will strengthen the innovation system for agri-based digital technologies as part of the broader Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACP) strategy to nurture an inclusive environment that is conducive for research and innovation in its member countries in order to  unlock inclusive innovation potential and support their transition into knowledge-based economies for sustainable development and poverty reduction. At the end of the Action, more women and youth should be using agri-based digital technologies to improve their farming practices or businesses (markets for agro-produce and other value-added products) in an environmentally sustainable manner.  To achieve this, the Action will strive for, 1) increased uptake of agri-based digital technologies by farmers and SMEs, especially women and youth; 2) stronger linkages between research communities, industry and policy actors; and (3) a policy environment conducive for scaling agri-business digital innovations in Western Africa.

Competitive Grants Scheme
Universities, research institutes, small and medium enterprises that are legally incorporated, farmer cooperatives, government ministries, departments and agencies responsible for ICTs or science, technology and innovation, CBOs and related groups in the ACP countries in West Africa are eligible to apply for the grants under this Action.
At least 12 grants each of minimum EUR 150,000 and maximum EUR 300,000 will be competitively awarded to eligible organizations in West Africa. The total amount to be awarded in grants will be EUR 2,730,000. Two rounds of Calls for proposals will be made under three inter-linked categories to enhance multi-stakeholder engagement and learning. The first call for proposals is expected to be released by icipe in the first quarter of 2021.

  • Category 1 grants for co-development and adaptation of innovative digital solutions for agricultural productivity enhancement (min. EUR 150,000 and max. EUR 300,000 per project). This grant will target academic and research institutions to co-develop and adapt digital technologies with end users, especially the private sector, women and youth.
  • Category 2 grants will be for development of policies for digital innovation (min. EUR 150,000 and max. EUR 160,000 per project). This grant will target government officials in ministries, departments and agencies responsible for ICTs or science, technology and innovation to work in a consultative manner with farmer cooperatives, agro-processors, civil society, groups, and SMEs.
  • Category 3 grants will be for digital innovation for establishing market linkages for farmers’ produce (min. EUR 150,000 and max. EUR 222,500 per project). This grant will target farmer cooperatives in multi-stakeholder partnerships to apply digital solutions to create effective market linkages for their produce.

Regional Approach for Knowledge Sharing
In addition to the financial support, grantees will benefit from transfer of skills, know-how and experience from the Action’s co-implementers. These will be in form of training workshops, business coaching and mentoring, networking and partnerships building to the grantees, and curriculum strengthening for sustainability.
The geographic scope for the action is The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region, including  Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Mauritania. The action will contribute to learning across the ACP member states, thereby attracting more investors and key stakeholders from the ACP members and Europe to get actively involved.
The linkage with the African government led Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) will add value through its clear structures for knowledge sharing and strengthen the multi-stakeholder, multi-country and multi-sector partnerships. Currently the Governments of Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal are part of PASET-RSIF or in process of contributing to RSIF with additional countries having expressed an interest to join.

Science and Research Key to Unlocking Kenya’s Development Potential, President Kenyatta Says

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said science and research are key to unlocking Kenya’s development potential especially in finding solutions to challenges slowing down the country’s progress.

The President, therefore, said the Government will continue implementing programmes aimed at nurturing its growing scientific talent pool so as to create wealth and expand employment opportunities for Kenyans.

President Kenyatta spoke today during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi.

In his pre-recorded video address, the Head of State applauded ICIPE for its prominent contribution to the growth of science and research in Africa over the last five decades.

“As this pioneering institution commemorates its 50 years of service, in partnership with governments across the continent, we note with appreciation the central role you have and continue to play, in insect research, plant health, animal health, environmental health, all aimed at bettering human health and welfare,” the President said.

He said Africa must continue to expand its investment in science and research for it to achieve the aspiration of becoming a prosperous and peaceful continent.

“Indeed, Africa will continue to rely on scientific organizations not only to address present and future development challenges, but also to provide the platform upon which we may be able to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in the digital and the biological economic sectors,” he said.

The President praised ICIPE’s training programmes delivered through the African Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Science (ARPPIS) and the Dissertation Research Internship Programme (DRIP), saying the initiatives have helped to significantly increase the number of scientists and researchers in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Likewise, I note with appreciation that in 2008, ICIPE was selected by African governments to run the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) of the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET). The central objective of this Fund is to train up to 1,000 doctoral level scientists annually from sub-Sahara countries in the various core fields of science,” he said.

President Kenyatta said Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063 both recognize the vital role played by science and scientific organizations like ICIPE in achieving developmental objectives.

With this knowledge, the President said his administration will continue working closely with scientific and research organizations as key development partners adding that the Kenyan Government had contributed more than Shs 200 million to the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RIF) of the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) where he is the current Chairperson.

“Our contribution in this regard is consistent with the Kenya Vision 2030, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Africa Union Agenda 2063,” he emphasized.

The Head of State assured that the Kenyan Government will continue rolling out progressive policies to promote science and innovation, not only as the engine for economic growth but also as a means of addressing enduring social inequalities.

“We have made a commitment to invest up to 2% of our annual national budget in research and innovation which is in line with our national development programmes,” he said.

The President noted that science and research institutions such as ICIPE are important partners in realizing Kenya’s development aspirations as outlined in Vision 2030 and Big 4 Agenda blueprints which he said are consistent with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“Indeed, ICIPE and other similar organizations in Kenya have contributed essential technical skills and scientific knowledge that have proved invaluable to our national development.

“These contributions have led to the creation of high quality jobs, especially for young graduates, increased foreign exchange earnings for the country and strengthened our connections, particularly in the field of academia and research, with the rest of world,” the President said.

As part of the celebrations, the President launched ICIPE’s Vision and Strategy for the period 2021 to 2025, which he described as bold and comprehensive noting that it will position the organization as a centre for discovery and provision of solutions.

Cabinet Secretaries Raychelle Omamo (Foreign Affairs) and Peter Munya (Agriculture) commended ICIPE for its scientific and research work which they said has been key in transforming the lives of many Africans.

CS Munya said ICIPE has been recognized globally for its research work, which has greatly helped farmers to improve productivity of their enterprises.

“This work has made ICIPE to be a household name in Africa, for it has contributed to providing solutions which are not harmful to animals, plants and human life,” the Agriculture CS said.

Other speakers included the Chairperson of ICIPE Governing Council Prof Bill Hansson and the organization’s Director General Dr Segenet Kelemu.

 

Click here to watch His Excellency, President Uhuru Kenyatta speaking about RSIF.

Click here to watch President Uhuru Kenyatta’s full speech during the icipe@50 celebration.

President Kenyatta calls for Increased Investment for Research and Development in Africa

Speaking at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in Nairobi on the 20 November 2020, His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta applauded icipe for its prominent contribution to the growth of science and research in Africa over the last five decades. He noted with appreciation that in 2018, icipe, which is hosted by the Government of Kenya, was selected by African governments to run the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (RSIF) of the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET).

The celebrations were also attended by Hon. Amb. Rachelle Omamo, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Hon. Peter Munya, Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives who viewed the exhibition of icipe’s achievements and attended the celebration in-person along with members of the diplomatic core, and other icipe stakeholders.

Speaking specifically about RSIF, President Kenyatta in his video statement recalled that “The central objective of this fund is to train up to one thousand doctoral level scientists annually from Sub Saharan African countries in various core fields of science. This measure will also address the imbalance exhibited by our current 88 science researchers per million in sub-Saharan Africa, which compares very unfavourably with the average of 876 science researchers per million in North Africa and also the UK and US averages of 4000 per million.  Accordingly, I appeal for greatly enhanced investment in research and development in order to develop and inculcate a science culture and orientation in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

President Kenyatta noted that Kenya, through the Ministry of Education is the current chair of PASET and have thus far contributed more than USD 2 million to the Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund. He said “Kenya’s contribution in this regard is consistent with Kenya’s Vision 2030, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union Agenda 2063”.

The President said his administration has put in place an enabling policy framework to foster science and innovation – not only as an engine for economic growth, but also as a means of addressing enduring social inequalities. “We have made a commitment to invest up to 2% of our annual national budget in research and innovation, which is in line with our national development programmes,” he said.  “We will continuously improve our strategies to ensure that we continue to attract and nurture talent, harness the resources we have and create opportunities and jobs for our people”.

The President informed icipe stakeholders that science and research institutions such as icipe are important partners in realizing Kenya’s development aspirations. “Indeed, icipe and other similar organizations in Kenya have contributed essential technical skills and scientific knowledge that have proved invaluable to our national development. “These contributions have led to the creation of high quality jobs, especially for young graduates, increased foreign exchange earnings for the country and strengthened our connections, particularly in the field of academia and research, with the rest of world,” the President said.

As part of the celebrations, the President formally launched icipe’s Vision and Strategy for the period 2021 to 2025, which he described as bold and comprehensive noting that it will position the organization as a centre for discovery and provision of solutions. “As current problems are solved, new ones emerge, which require new responses”, he said. He challenged icipe to in the next 50 years herald seminal research work for the greater benefit not only of Africa, but of all mankind.

In conclusion, the President acknowledged the support from donors and partners and expressed the belief that multi-stakeholder partnerships will spur even greater heights of success.

The importance of international science partnership was echoed by Cabinet Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Amb. Rachelle Omamo. She spoke on the power of science to change the world, recalling the context of Covid-19 and climate change that is challenging food security and biodiversity. Commenting on the theme “Insects for Life” and the icipe anniversary plaque of a butterfly, she noted that the caterpillar transforming into a butterfly illustrates icipe’s own transformation since its founding by Kenyan scientist Thomas Odhiambo in 1970.  50 years ago, there were a handful of women scientists, but today women have embraced science and are able to take leadership of one of the world’s premium institutions.  She thanked and applauded Dr. Segenet Kelemu, the first female Director General of icipe and appreciated icipe’s role in growing young scientists and in particular African scientists. The transformational basis of science for development is not yet fully utilized and need to be further promoted.

She said she was challenged by icipe Director General stressing the need for more government cooperation and the idea that foreign policy also has to change as scientific research becomes a foreign policy pillar. She welcomed the idea of enhanced government cooperation with scientific institutions and expressed that she hoped to be able to work with icipe to promote science not only as a development tool, but a tool for peace and security and for transforming the lives of people.

The positive impact for food security was testified to by Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives. Hon. Peter Munya. He said icipe was a household name in Kenya and across Africa as it works closely with farmers, deploying science to find solutions for small holder farmers, enhancing productivity in a sustainable manner.

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