Deadline: 27-May-22
Early-career scientists are invited for the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer (JWO) Research Grant to conduct impactful research that will provide solutions to some of Africa’s most pressing problems.
JWO Research Grant was established to honour the late Mrs Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer and continue her extensive contribution to and passion for Africa, the environment, and science.
he name of the programme, Thuthukisani, is a call to action taken from the isiZulu word ‘thuthukisa’ (a verb), meaning to develop. Initiated and managed by the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT), the ACT Thuthukisani Programme is supported by Nedbank.
Themes
The proposed research should be focused on or in Africa. JWO 2022 themes:
- The intersection between biodiversity and the economy
- Environmental tipping points
- Impact of landscape changes on novel and known disease
- Pollution and impact on the environment – please note no microplastic research will be considered.
- Impact of basic sciences on sustainable development.
Funding Information
A grant of $150,000 will be awarded to one successful applicant. The grant will support a research project or programme for up to three years (previously funded research not eligible).
Eligibility Criteria
The lead applicant should be:
- An early career scientist
- Applicant must already hold a degree (PhD or equivalent) and should have no more than seven years of work and/or research experience post-degree (excluding time taken for family responsibilities).
- Have strong links to a credible African institution
- The institution should have a proven ability to manage to fund and subscribes to good financial grant practice and can be any of the following: academic institution, research institution, government institution, NGO, for-profit organisation.
What the judges look for:
- Advances the frontiers of knowledge within the chosen field.
- Facilitates solutions to African challenges: The research should try and solve an African challenge that occurs in more than one geography and is scalable to other areas. The research should include multiple research sites.
- Demonstrates innovative methodologies and approaches.
- Exhibits scientific rigour and excellence.
- Contributes to human capital development (e.g. mentorship, support, and professional development opportunities) for the next generation of researchers.
- Incorporates a holistic perspective and involves inter-and multi-disciplinary collaboration with partners (preference intra-African) to leverage time, expertise, skills, materials, and resources and reduce duplication.
- Articulates the potential to create impact both during and beyond the grant period.
- Displays knowledge of associated recent or ongoing work on the continent.
- Defines a clear plan for disseminating research outcomes both inside and outside the scientific community.
- Endeavours to open access publications (popular and scientific.
- Does not present unacceptable ethical or safety risk.
For more information, visit https://jwogrant.kinsta.cloud/