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wpadmin NRF in the NewsPress Release October 19, 2023 The National Research Foundation (NRF) is delighted to announce that it will host the Covid-19 Africa Rapid Grant Fund (CARGF) Reflection and Foresight Convening and the O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI) Annual Gathering next week. The CARGF Reflection and Foresight Convening will take place from 23 to 24 October, while the ORTARChI Annual Gathering will take place from 25 to 27 October. Members of the media are invited to cover the two high-level meetings at the NRF headquarters in Brummeria, Pretoria. CARGF and ORTARChI are two significant multilateral research partnerships that the NRF has administered under the auspices of the Science Granting Councils Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI) since 2020 and 2018 respectively. The SGCI is a multi-funder and multi-stakeholder initiative that partners with public funders of research in 17 African countries to support capacity strengthening with the aim of contributing to research and evidence-based policies for economic and social development. CARGF and ORTARChI have been implemented in partnership with long term associates of the NRF who represent the regional and global development partners. The meetings next week will celebrate and showcase the two initiatives, and provide a space for peer-learning, networking, and the exploration of avenues of collaboration among the participants, which also include the SGCI participating councils and key stakeholders in Africa’s science ecosystem. CARGF and ORTARChI were established to fulfil varying roles for the benefit of Africa’s science system. Established in May 2020 to support Africa’s response to COVID-19, CARGF funded 73 projects across three strands, i.e. research, science communication and science advice, in 50 institutions from 16 African countries. The CARGF was supported by the NRF and the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI); Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Fonds de Recherché du Québec (FRQ); the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); the United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Newton Fund; and SGCI participating councils. The upcoming CARGF meeting will take stock of lessons and experiences in implementing a multilateral research programme in response to COVID-19, and will shape a set of policy guidelines on preparedness to respond to future emergencies by Africa’s science systems, with a specific focus on public science funders. ORTARChI, on the other hand, was established to contribute to the expansion of research and innovation capacities in and for Africa, in alignment with African Union Agenda 2063 and Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024); to contribute to Africa’s global research competitiveness while responding to the continent’s socio-economic needs; and to contribute to Africa’s career pathways for young and mid-career researchers, with a strong research, innovation and human capital development output trajectory. Ten O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs have been awarded across seven countries, namely Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia since its launch. The NRF and DSI, together with the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation (OATF) and IDRC, have partnered to implement the initiative. Importantly, the initiative honours and promotes the legacy of O.R. Tambo, emulating his values of professional excellence, integrity, inclusiveness, honesty, humility, and respect for human dignity. The upcoming 2023 ORTARChI Annual Gathering, the inaugural in-person gathering since ORTARChI research activities began, is themed Championing Research Excellence: The O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative. The late Oliver Tambo is recognised for his lifelong dedication to the struggle against apartheid. He criss-crossed Africa and the world as a longtime leader of the African National Congress in pursuit of freedom and equality. ORTARChI also recognises Mr Tambo’s science background. He obtained his BSc Degree in 1941 from the University College of Fort Hare, near Alice, and taught Science and Mathematics at St Peter’s College in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, for ten years. A range of events will be held as part of the CARGF and ORTARChI meetings. Dr Fulufhelo Nelwamondo, NRF Chief Executive Officer, will open the CARGF meeting on Monday, 23 October. His address will be themed The Embeddedness of the NRF Within the African Science Context. CARGF meeting events between Monday and Tuesday will include sessions looking into the objectives, implementation, and achievements of the initiative; CARGF funded projects and capacity strengthening for impact; an expert panel discussion on preparing African science systems for future emergency crises; and presentations from parallel working groups focusing on key recommendations to prepare African science systems for future emergency crises. CARGF meeting details:Venue: NRF, Brummeria, PretoriaDates: 23 to 24 OctoberTime: 09:00 – 17:00Parking: NRF, Brummeria, Pretoria Dr Nelwamondo will open the ORTARChI meeting on Wednesday, 25 October. Subsequent events will include sessions themed Investing in Scientific Excellence; Storytelling, Dissemination and Research Uptake; Building ORTARChI; Catalysing Development and Institutional Support as a Catalyst for Success. The remainder of the programme on 26 and 27 October will be jam-packed with events honouring Mr Tambo. These will be the NRF Science for Society Lecture and a Panel Discussion themed Connecting the Dots: O.R. Tambo and Research in Africa. The panel discussion, hosted in partnership with the OATF, will include reflections on the life and legacy of O.R. Tambo by Mavuso Msimang, Prof Chris Landsberg and Thulile Khanyile. Further advisories relating to the NRF Science for Society Lecture, and the Panel Discussion will be shared with the media. ORTARChI meeting details:Venue: NRF, Brummeria, PretoriaDates: 25 to 27 OctoberTime: 09:00 – 17:00Parking: NRF, Brummeria, Pretoria For registration enquiries, please contact:Bongani NkosiNRFMedia Relations Officerb.nkosi@nrf.ac.za or +27 61 477 3064. Share on Facebook Share on X
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