Funding Africa's Future: Science Granting Councils Urged to Rethink Research Support Models

The Science Granting Councils Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI) opened its latest Peer Learning Visit in Pretoria on Tuesday with a powerful call for funding agencies to transform the way they support research and innovation across the continent.

The four-day gathering brings together representatives from 15 African countries, collaborating technical agencies, policymakers, and research leaders to exchange knowledge and forge joint solutions for strengthening research management and systems. Building on the momentum of the April 2025 exchange in Bonn, Germany  the Pretoria programme is spotlighting pressing themes including scientific excellence, impact assessment, intellectual property and commercialisation, and digital grant management systems.

Opening the event, Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo, CEO of the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa, urged councils to “reimagine and build a stronger African research ecosystem” by doing three things differently:

• Building a true community of practice that prioritises trust, reciprocity, and peer accountability.
• Amplifying Africa’s voice responsibly on the global stage, ensuring the continent’s perspectives shape international science agendas.
• Embracing the new funding reality by exploring innovative, sustainable models that respond to Africa’s needs led by the ubuntu philosophy

He emphasised that the continent’s future depends not just on mobilising more resources, but on how funders choose to work together and differently.

Ms Mmampei Chaba, Chief Director at South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), underlined the need for stronger alignment between SGCI and national ministries to advance an African research agenda. She highlighted the African Union’s Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA 2034) as a platform where long-term commitment, coordination, and partnership could be leveraged to greater effect if ministries, councils, and continental actors aligned their efforts.

From a global partner perspective, Dr Marcus Wilms of the German Research Foundation (DFG) challenged councils to rethink how they measure and fund research impact, not only in economic terms but also through knowledge generation and societal transformation. He stressed the importance of protecting and strengthening curiosity-driven research as the bedrock of scientific discovery and innovation.

The Pretoria Peer Learning Visit underscores that public funders must embrace collaboration, focus on sustainability, and champion curiosity-driven science while linking it to social and economic transformation.