Virtual Workshop for African Early Career Researchers

As part of the Belmont Forum CRA on Transdisciplinary Research for Pathways to Sustainability, a Virtual Workshop for African Early Career Researchers will be held from 9-10 September 2020.

Background

Future Earth will support early-career researchers (ECRs) from Africa to network around consortium proposals for the Belmont Forum Collaborative Research Action (CRA) on Transdisciplinary Research for Pathways to Sustainability by organizing this virtual capacity building workshop. The workshop will also help to improve proposal writing skills.

The workshop will bring together approximately 30 ECRs and five mid-to-late-career researchers.

The event is organized in collaboration with the Future Earth Office for Southern Africa (FEROSA), the Program for Early-stage Grants Advancing Sustainability Science (PEGASuS), the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF), the African Future Earth Committee (AFEC), and the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD).

Objective

The objective of this training is to support early-career researchers from African countries in:
1) gaining a better understanding of the Belmont Forum and its application processes;
2) networking in order to create eligible consortia; and
3) capacity mobilization in communication and proposal writing.

Organizers aim to mobilize capacities by improving the participants' understanding of the functioning of Belmont Forum CRAs, offering training in storytelling and strategic communication for impactful research, and by creating networking opportunities among early-career researchers as well as with senior scientists.

This will give ECRs the opportunity to present and promote their research in order to create collaborations with senior researchers, potentially leading to building a joint consortium.

Program

The workshop will be split in two parts.

Day 1: is dedicated exclusively to early career researchers from Africa and aims to provide them with a deeper understanding of the Belmont Forum and the Pathways CRA, as well as training in storytelling and strategic communication for impactful research. Main 2 sessions are: Introduction to the Belmont Forum & How to apply to the call; Introduction to the Pathways CRA; Training session on storytelling for scientists and strategic communication; first networking opportunities.

Day 2: is dedicated to networking and deep exchanges between early careers and senior researchers. Senior scientists from across eligible countries will connect with ECRs on selected topics relevant to "Transdisciplinary Research for Pathways to Sustainability". The main focus of this day will be on breakout groups between the senior scientists and the early careers to explore potential collaborations. A thorough selective process prior to the workshop will ensure that the early career researchers backgrounds match those of the senior scientists.

Applications

Deadline for applications is 17 August.

More information and application details: https://futureearth.org/2020/07/27/virtual-workshop-for-african-early-career-researchers-on-belmont-forum-pathways-to-sustainability/

Further information

Questions can be emailed to: ecrpathwaysfutureearth.org (ecrpathways[at]futureearth[dot]org)

Please note that ECRs from francophone Africa are particularly encouraged to apply to the workshop.