Africa Evidence Network Newsletter

August 2022

Hello AEN members,

Warm winter greetings from the cold city of Johannesburg!

Find your latest EIDM opportunities, academic journal articles, and events in the August edition of the AEN newsletter. There's plenty of new evidence news for your reading pleasure and a special Africa evidence feature on what's to come at EVIDENCE 2022.

Leading up to EVIDENCE 2022, this month's AEN blog features long-standing AEN member Eric Ngang. Eric shares how the EVIDENCE 2016 event set off his work in decolonising evidence-informed decision-making.

Don't miss this opportunity to share your views on the changes in the EIDM ecosystem over the last decade, and what you envision the network looking like in the next ten years. Let's celebrate ten years together, #AENis10!

We welcome and encourage your contributions to the AEN newsletter and blog! To share your work or interesting stories from your country or organisation on either of these platforms, send an email to Precious Motha: ace@uj.ac.za.

The same, great newsletter content is now only available on this one platform shared through the AEN website, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts. Enjoy the read!

Best wishes,
The Africa Evidence Network team.

Putting the spotlight on…

…a new member! Welcome to Bulelwa Maphela! Bulelwa joins us as a researcher from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. She recently completed a short learning programme on Evidence-Iinformed Decision-Making (EIDM) through the Africa Centre for Evidence (ACE), and was inspired to join the network.

Want to spotlight yourself, someone you know, or your organisation? Let us know and you could be featured in next month's newsletter.

Opportunities

Invite to public consultation: The Belmont Forum and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) invite you to be part of the scoping for the development of Collaborative Research Action (CRA) looking at Urban Blue & Green spaces (more info). Public consultation closes Friday, 2 September 2022.
Call for Applications: The English-language summer school will take place from 2-26 November 2022, hosted by Afrobarometer and Future Africa at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Apply by 9 September 2022 17:00 GMT.
Call for Applications: Journalism Grant Berlin Science Week 2022. The Berlin Science Week is offering a research grant to support science journalists. Apply by 26 September 2022, 23:59 CEST.
Applications now open for the next competition of the
Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP). The deadline for applications is on 30 September 2022.
Applications are open for the TWAS-Sida PhD Scholarship Programme for Climate Research for students from LDCs. Applications close on 5 October 2022.

African Evidence Feature

We are fast approaching EVIDENCE 2022!

Photo Credit: Africa Centre for Evidence

The Africa Evidence Network is delighted to host yet another three-day working meeting on the use of evidence in decision-making in Africa. Follow the updates with AEN operations manager, Siziwe Ngcwabe on the preparations underway to host EVIDENCE 2022 starting 19 to 21 September 2022. A reminder that today, 19 August marks the last day to submit EIDM content to participate at EVIDENCE 2022, you have until 23:59 SAST to make your content submissions. Join us to celebrate ten years of the #AENis10! Visit the EVIDENCE 2022 website for more information on how to participate. Stay tuned for registration and programme updates coming soon!

Latest African Evidence News

In a bid to support evidence-informed policy-making, the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology's (MIT) J-PAL has expanded partnerships with Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Mexico, and Morocco. Read more...
The recently concluded France-South Africa Higher Education and Research Week, by the French Embassy in South Africa in collaboration with Campus France led to positive outcomes and recommendations for future mutual cooperation between South African and French universities. Read more...
Read more on why African nations may consider adopting a nuclear energy policy as a solution to food security and other development challenges on the continent.
A new seed fund for research and education projects with African partners has been launched by Imperial College London. This funding will support collaborations with partners at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences AIMS and members of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). Read more...

Mark your calendars

29 August - 2 September: The African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) & Makerere University Lung Institute training on EIDM under the Leaving no-one behInd: transforming Gendered pathways to Health for TB (LIGHT) consortium. Entebbe, Uganda
19 - 21 September 2022: The AEN is hosting the EVIDENCE 2022 event, Online.
26 - 30 September: ICED Think Tank, Evidence to Action 2022 conference, Kampala Uganda.

AEN Blog

Evidence 2016: Jump-off point for work on decolonising evidence-informed decision-making on climate change

Photo: Eric Ngang / Africa Evidence Network

This month's AEN blog features long-term AEN member Eric Ngang, who shares how the EVIDENCE 2016 event set off his work in decolonising evidence-informed decision-making. EVIDENCE 2022 is taking place from 19-21 September.

View all AEN blog posts online and use the Network to share your work – submit your AEN blog here and feature your work to our 3000+ members in 2022!

International Evidence Feature

Insights on the Art of Science Advice

Credit: All Europen Academics

Professor Roger Pielke of Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, shares insights on the challenges scientists face when sharing their expertise and advice to policy and decision-makers.

During an interview at the Final conference of the COST Cross-Cutting Activity on Science Communication, Prof Pielke explored challenges to science advice and presented notable insights on the needs of decision-makers and policy-makers from science and scientists. Citing examples of expert advice systems, shadow science advice in policy-making and shared definitions of the role of scientists and science in democracy, communication, and climate change. Read more...

Latest International Evidence News

In a recent edition of the Evidence & Policy blog, Alina Potts explores the possibility to co-produce evidence with displaced populations through creative, participatory research methods, and to incorporate it into practice and policy as a result. Read more...
According to a recent LSE Impact blog, by Kapil Patil and Maria Rentetzi, recent trends in European science diplomacy are indicating a fractured and politicized model rooted in geopolitical competition rather than post-Cold War consensus. Read more...
In a recent op-ed, President and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Roseann O'Reilly Runte highlights the importance of scientific literacy among youth and how Science and critical thinking should be prioritized in Canadian schools. Read more...

Hot off the press

Belita et al: 'Validity, reliability, and acceptability of the Evidence-Informed Decision-Making (EIDM) competence measure'
Presseau et al: 'Selecting implementation models, theories & frameworks in which to integrate intersectional approaches'
Stanford et al: 'Evidence in decision-making in the context of COVID-19 in Latin America'

AEN is supported by the Africa Centre for Evidence at the University of Johannesburg

www.africaevidencenetwork.org

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