EU Funds to support research for Africa
Up to €63M will be allocated to African research projects in 2010, aiming to improve health conditions as well as water and food security. This special initiative aims to reinforce the research base of the continent, allowing it to contribute to its own development.
Malarial Mosquito.
© Reporters/Sheila Terry (Science Photo library)
This entirely dedicated research initiative for Africa covers some of the scientific and technological areas listed in the EU-Africa Strategic Partnership agreed on by the European Commission and the African Union Commission in December 2007. The financing will be based on a call for proposals officially presented on 18 September 2009 in Brussels to all potentially interested parties. EU Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potočnik said: “With this ‘Africa call’ we are turning words into actions. The EU-Africa Strategic Partnership is harnessing the potential of science and technology to meet the water, food security and health challenges of Africa. It is getting researchers from Europe and Africa to work together in the true spirit of this Partnership. We are working not only for, but with Africa.”
This call for proposals is the first one entirely dedicated to the research initiative for Africa under the EU’s Framework Programme for Research (FP7) granted with a budget of €50.5bn for the period 2007-2013. The call for proposals brings together several funding themes under FP7: Health (€39M), Environment (€17.5M) and Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Biotechnology (€6.5M). The projects selected will include all of the above scientific and technological research fields but will also take into account broader socio-economic factors such as migration and resettlement, urbanisation, health care systems, variation of food and energy prices and so on.
The ‘Africa call’ is structured around two major issues:
‘Water and Food Security’: projects selected will strive to ensure both safe drinking water and good sanitation and hygiene. They will aim to revitalise agriculture, promote more sustainable production systems and ensure food security. They will also address Africa's vulnerability to the expected climate change impacts by setting up early-warning and forecasting systems to address risks such as drought or vector-borne diseases.
‘Better Health for Africa’: projects selected will focus on reducing the malaria disease burden, improving early diagnosis and treatment of the most frequent infection-related cancers, improving maternal and newborn health, assessing migrant health and addressing the shortage of healthcare personnel.
Collaborative research and capacity-building
All projects will involve local stakeholders. Depending on the project, at least 2 or 3 partners must be established in an African country. The projects selected will foster capacity-building through the promotion of academic research and training, the setting up of networks, and the building of sustainable capacity for health research.
