Eighty projects across 17 African countries have been selected for funding under the Covid-19 Africa Rapid Grant Fund.

The fund was launched in May, valued at close to R80-million, or $4.75-million.

Of the 80 projects selected for funding, 41 are involved in research and 39 in science engagement, including science advice and science journalism. Forty-six per cent of these projects are led by women as principal investigators.

The fund was established to address research questions and implement science engagement activities associated with Covid-19.

The National Research Foundation (NRF); South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation (DSI); Canada’s International Development Research Centre; the Fonds de Recherche du Québec; the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency; the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; United Kingdom Research and Innovation through the Newton Fund; and the Science Granting Councils Initiative in Sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI), have collaborated and are funding this initiative.

The fund was conceptualised under the auspices of the SGCI and is administered by the NRF.

The grants will support knowledge generation and translation to inform diagnostics, prevention and treatment of Covid-19; strengthen African regional and continental science engagement efforts in response to the pandemic; and leverage existing and new multilateral collaborations from international partners.

The fund will also play a role in facilitating responsive, localised research and science engagement activities in support of efforts on the continent.

The start of the 80 projects will follow a staggered approach, with the duration of research and science advice projects being 24 months, while the science and health journalists and communicators will have a duration of 18 months.

NRF CEO Dr Molapo Qhobela says knowledge gained from scientific enquiry has a vital role to play in transforming societies by encouraging critical conversations and developing responsible and engaged citizens.

“For the African continent to thrive, knowledge creation and sharing must be at the heart of our efforts to transform and respond to the challenges facing our society.”

The research projects supported by the fund are inter-disciplinary and employ multi-dimensional analysis approaches at the scientific, socioeconomic and sociocultural level to understand Africa’s response to the pandemic.

They include assessments of genetic and immunologic factors associated with the severity of Covid-19 in different demographic groups, such as age and gender, and in people with different medical histories.

Some of the projects will investigate and document lessons learnt from similar infectious disease outbreaks and assess preparedness by African States. They also include geographical assessments of mental health services available during the pandemic and the impact of Covid-19 on the socioeconomic livelihoods of vulnerable communities.

Of specific interest are the proposed collaborations among the research community, public sector, civil society and the private sector actors, an encouraging step that will contribute to greater uptake and create synergies between the different sectors.

Science journalism and communication projects invariably address topics such as exploring the role and effectiveness of the media in the dissemination of information and misinformation; developing effective communication strategies to counter Covid-19 misinformation; exploring how misinformation spreads; and methods to alleviate the fear generated by misinformation.

Successful projects will provide capacity building opportunities for science and health communicators and journalists. They will tackle the importance of translation of Covid-19 research to bridge the gaps between scientific research and public understanding of the virus.

The majority of these projects will result in the creation of a series of educational and awareness programmes using various media, such as television, radio, print media, e-publications and social media, as well as the use of additional platforms to make the knowledge accessible to communities with differentiated levels of literacy.

The science advice projects supported are aimed at synthesising and providing evidence-based science advice to African governments to support the decision-making process within different spheres of government on how to manage Covid-19 and similar pandemics.

The funded projects will contribute to the development of rapid response material with policy briefs as key knowledge products and the direct engagement of government decision-makers regarding Covid-19 decision-making.

The NRF states that more details on the projects will follow next month, particularly those that are in South Africa and supported by the DSI.