News Archive
Policy Brief: Strengthening the roles of African Science Granting Councils as boundary organisations for societal transformation
"African R&D ‘needs stable, homegrown funding'". This is the headline message from the policy brief 'Strengthening the roles of African Science Granting Councils as boundary organisations for societal transformation', produced by the UCL Innovation Ecosystems Laboratory, of which CIM's Carla Washbourne is a member.
The recent launch of the third phase of the African Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI‑3) in February 2026 marks a significant inflection point for Africa’s science, technology and innovation systems. This brief looks back and reflects upon the experiences that have led SGCs to become such pivotal boundary organisations.
- Read a short feature on this work at Research Professional news via this link: https://www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-africa-pan-african-2026-3-african-r-d-needs-stable-home-grown-funding-researchers-say/ Link opens in a new window
- Access the full brief via this link: https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/steapp/2026/03/06/strengthening-the-roles-of-african-science-granting-councils-as-boundary-organisations-for-societal-transformation/Link opens in a new window
The brief draws upon research undertaken by collaborators at University College London, University of Rwanda and University of Johannesburg. The Political Economy Analysis 3 (PEA‑3) study, conducted across 15 countries in West, East and Southern Africa sought to understand how political, economic and institutional dynamics shape the roles and performance of science granting councils.