A new Frontier for US–Africa partnerships

Africa’s Promise for Science, Technology, and Innovation

Known as the cradle of humankind, Africa is now positioned to shape its future. By 2050, the United Nations projects that the continent’s population will reach 2.5 billion, representing more than a quarter of the world population (1). Africa is not only rich in human capital but also in renewable energy resources, namely solar, wind, and hydropower (2). The continent is home to 30% of the world’s mineral reserves, including 40% of the world’s gold and up to 90% of its chromium and platinum (3). Despite the abundance of its resources, Africa’s potential remains largely unfulfilled. The continent still faces many challenges, namely food insecurity, climate change impacts, land degradation and biodiversity loss (4), high poverty (5), low maternal health among children, and lack of accessible education (6).

Science, technology, and innovation can play a key role in resolving some of these pressing challenges and can accelerate the development of the African continent (7). African countries continue to underspend on Research and Development (less than 1% of their GDP) (8). At the same time, the number of researchers on the continent is growing at a fast pace, with the number of researchers per million inhabitants in Africa increasing by 13.7% from 2014 to 2018 (9). This growing body of African researchers has the potential to lead investigations on novel science questions unique to the continent.

Partnerships will be critical to capitalize on the many opportunities, while leveraging additional funding from other sources. However, to date, most Science and Technology (S&T) programs in Africa have focused mainly on aid and capacity building, even though the continent has much to share with the United States and the rest of the world in terms of expertise and knowledge. Understanding the novel science questions on the ground and exploring the transferability and scalability of new solutions between the United States and Africa will require new mechanisms for knowledge exchange based on bidirectionality and intellectual reciprocity. In short, a paradigm shift is needed in which African counterparts are treated as equal partners instead of mere implementers and in which a diverse set of stakeholders from multiple backgrounds are frequently brought together to share experiences and identify new solutions to pressing regional and global issues (8).

The Frontiers Programs

To establish a robust knowledge exchange mechanism and catalyze partnerships between the United States and African countries across multiple scientific domains, the National Academies launched the US-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine program in 2022 (10). This new initiative is based on the long-standing Frontiers programs of the academies. The National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering launched the Frontiers of Science (FOS) and Frontiers of Engineering (FOE) programs in 1989 and 1995, respectively, as domestic programs bringing the best and brightest young US researchers and innovators together in a unique interdisciplinary meeting that promotes convergence research and the cross-pollination of ideas across disciplines (11, 12). These programs were successful in identifying rising stars who worked on cutting-edge research in their fields and connecting them to peers from other disciplines. The early relationships created have been invaluable for alumni career growth, network building, and research collaborations. The FOS and FOE count 6,800 and 5,500 alumni, respectively, many of whom went on to become leaders in their fields. For example, 19 FOS alumni have won Nobel Prizes, and 355 have been elected to the NAS membership (over 13% of the current membership) (11).

Based on the success of the Frontiers programs domestically, a series of bilateral Frontiers programs were launched in the mid-nineties with Germany, China, the European Union, Japan, and Korea, to name a few, which are still held on a regular basis. Most of these bilateral Frontiers programs partner with technologically advanced nations, leaving behind the research ecosystems in other parts of the world. This is why in 2011, two years after President Obama’s Cairo speech in which he called for a new beginning in the US relationships with the Arab and Muslim world (13), the National Academies launched the Arab–American Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Program (AAFOSEM), bringing together about 100 young researchers from the United States and the Arab region in yearly Frontiers symposia (14).

The AAFOSEM was the first regional Frontiers program to match US researchers with counterparts from a region in the Global South, encompassing science, engineering, and medicine under one symposium. This program has benefited from support from the US government, philanthropy, and funding institutions in Arab countries who embraced the idea of a reciprocal partnership and knowledge exchange on cutting-edge research. Most importantly, the US research community welcomed a new high-quality program with the Arab region, particularly during the uncertain years of the Arab Spring. The National Academies’ transparent and evidence-based process for participant selection was attractive for the attendees and partners alike, and it elevated the level of discourse as participants were selected on a competitive basis. As the Arab–American Frontiers program continued to grow, so did its alumni body which now counts over 1,000 members, including government ministers and heads of research institutions. As a result, the National Academies has considerably expanded its institutional network and programming in the Middle East and North Africa (15).

The National Academies’ Work in Africa

The Arab–American Frontiers program demonstrated the benefits of a regional Frontiers program in the Global South that focuses on bidirectional knowledge exchange. It was therefore time for the National Academies to expand the Frontiers to another part of the world, starting with Africa where it already had an extensive network of partners.

The National Academies have long had an active presence on the African continent. One example is the African Science Academy Development Initiative (ASADI), a 10-year effort (2004 to 2014) by the US National Academies that was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This project was designed to strengthen the ability of African science academies to provide independent, evidence-supported advice that informs both African government policymaking and public discourse, highlighting the area of human health (16). With a view toward building demand for academy-led efforts, it aimed to foster a deeper appreciation on the part of African governments for the benefits of evidence and science-based decision-making. The program supported intense capacity-building efforts with the science academies of Uganda, South Africa, and Nigeria. These nations were competitively selected based on their potential to develop an effective and sustained policy-advisory process, the receptivity of their governments to seek advice from the scientific community, and the existence of a critical mass of scientific talent willing to serve as participants in policy-advisory activities.

The grant also provided support to the academies of Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Kenya, and the regional African Academy of Sciences (AAS) for strategic planning efforts. Collaborative partnering with the academies across Africa helped develop infrastructure, personnel, and relationships between each academy and its respective government, as well as rigorous procedures for providing policy advice. The ASADI program not only exceeded its original objectives (17), but it also consolidated the National Academies’ relationship with African science academies and its position as a partner of choice in future scientific endeavors and collaborations.

The National Academies also implemented the USAID-funded Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) Program (18), a competitive grants program that supported scientists in developing countries, partnered with USG-supported collaborators, to conduct research and capacity-building activities on topics with strong potential development impacts. PEER supported more than 400 projects in 60 countries for a total investment of approximately $85 million, with funds going almost entirely to research institutions outside of the United States. About one-third of these projects were in Africa and led by outstanding local researchers on the continent working on a wide range of issues; these included, but were not limited to, biodiversity, agriculture, public health, energy, engineering, education, and climate. The North–South research partnerships promoted by the PEER program had a positive impact on both collaborators, with particular benefits to researchers in the global South (19).

The US-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Program

Capitalizing on its track record for developing Frontiers programs globally and leveraging its broad network on the African continent, the National Academies launched the US-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine program in 2022. This program’s objectives are to 1) enhance scientific dialog and exchange among young researchers in Africa and the United States; 2) encourage and strengthen scientific collaboration and the transfer of techniques and approaches across disciplines within and beyond the continent; and 3) empower young researchers to assume leadership roles. Eligible participants must be based in either the United States or one of the African Union member countries (20), have completed their highest degree within the past fifteen years, and have demonstrated accomplishments in science, engineering, or medical research, or technical work with recognizable contributions to advancing their fields (21).

The first US-Africa Frontiers symposium was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 2022 in partnership with the African Academy of Sciences (22). It brought together over 100 young scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from African Union member countries and the United States to discuss exciting advances in their fields and regional challenges, pictured in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1.

First US-Africa Frontiers symposium in Nairobi, Kenya, October 2022, Group Photo. Image credit: African Academy of Sciences, Nairobi, Kenya.

The second US-Africa Frontiers symposium was held in January 2024 in Rabat, Morocco, in partnership with the Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology (23). Sessions in the first two symposia covered frontiers research in artificial intelligence, climate, renewable energy, vaccine manufacturing, sensing technologies, food security, and infectious diseases, to name a few. This convergence research approach has been proven to be intellectually stimulating as it generates the cross-disciplinary dialog considered critical for scientific innovation (24, 25). The exchanges on cutting-edge scientific knowledge among US and African attendees take place through five plenary sessions, poster presentations by each attendee, educational exhibits, and informal discussions throughout the event. Unlike traditional topical conferences, US–Africa Frontiers symposia focus primarily on cutting-edge leapfrog technologies and showcase US and African contributions equally. They highlight both basic and applied research. According to an anonymous Frontiers participant, “The program had such brilliant minds and transformed my thinking. It focused on opportunities for basic research which is rare, especially for African countries.”

Another guiding principle of the US–Africa Frontiers program is to help accelerate equitable and inclusive development and economic growth for a better future in Africa and the United States. Therefore, the program is designed to be bottom–up and inclusive of underrepresented voices. The organizing committee for the symposium is composed of twelve early or midcareer researchers, with equal representation from the United States and Africa. The committee’s role is to develop the scientific agenda, co-chair sessions, and serve as ambassadors for the program. About 40% of the selected participants and half of the invited speakers were women, and over one-third of US participants were from the African Diaspora. Seven members of the National Academies New Voices program have taken part in US–Africa Frontiers meetings as speakers, general participants, and organizers (26). Invited participants hailed from 23 African countries (Fig. 2) and the United States. African Frontiers alumni include former PEER awardees, young affiliates of the African Academy of Sciences, members of national young academies, and other emerging leaders.

Fig. 2.

African countries representation at past US-Africa Frontiers Symposia (2022 to 2024).

Program Outcomes and Impact

The National Academies regularly assess the impact of the Frontiers programs and track short and mid-term outcomes as well as sustainable impact. Based on program surveys, 97% of Americans indicated they planned to collaborate with African researchers after the meeting (only one-third of US attendees had collaborated with African counterparts prior to the symposium). Conversely, 100% of African researchers indicated they planned to collaborate with US-Africa researchers (only half of them had worked with US counterparts before). In addition, 95% of attendees thought this symposium was valuable to their professional development when compared with other scientific conferences, and 89% said they learned about new developments in their own field (and 99% in other fields). Further, 93% of participants said the symposium gave them ideas, inspiration, or access to work outside their discipline that they plan on pursuing, and 94% indicated that they have identified potential applications of the new approaches, tools, and/or analysis methods that may benefit their research. Essentially, all reported that the symposium was valuable in establishing contacts for collaboration and professional development and that they identified potential collaborators while at the symposium (98% agreement for each).

In addition to the quantitative feedback, attendees began acting on collaboration plans. Since 2022, 20 travel grants (US–Africa Frontiers fellowships) have been awarded to groups of participants who identified areas of common interest to further develop joint collaborations (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3.

US-Africa Frontiers fellows from 2022 to 2024. Image credit: Emilie Rose Parker (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Washington, DC).

To provide a few specific examples, last year, Samuel Chigome at the Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) visited three US collaborators whom he met at the Frontiers symposium in Nairobi to conduct use-inspired basic research utilizing electrohydrodynamic techniques as the basis for nanomaterial fabrication. Abdoulaye Djire (Texas A&M University) visited the lab of Balla Diop Ngom (University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Senegal) to work on establishing the first research for energy applications of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides (2D MXenes) in West Africa (two manuscripts are currently in preparation, and a proposal for wastewater treatment will be submitted to funding agencies). Djire also traveled to two countries in Africa during the fellowship, Burkina Faso and Mali, where he met scientists, government leaders, as well as university leadership ranging from deans to presidents (Fig. 4). Very recently, Rabia Yahya (Nouakchott University, Mauritania) visited the lab of Amal El-Ghazaly (Cornell University, United States) to combine their research expertise and knowledge in exploring novel tunable transparent antennas that can serve applications in the medical field and the internet of things. They expect the exchange to enable new ways of cooperation between their fields of research and encourage more collaborations between their institutions.

Fig. 4.

Abdoulaye Djire during his visit to the University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar in Senegal. Image credit: Abdoulaye Djire (Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas).

The Frontiers fellowships serve as an effective vehicle for both bilateral (US–Africa) and regional (intra-African) collaboration. They expand the program impact to the broader research community, including students and colleagues of participating fellows who often use these visits for training, drafting manuscripts, preparing joint proposals, and/or to initiating Memorandum of Understanding between home and host institutions. The US–Africa Frontiers also provides opportunities for research funding. For example, each symposium hosts one or two sessions on funding opportunities for collaboration that feature US government grants programs as well as opportunities from philanthropy and industry. Participants can then submit white papers or research grants directly to the various funders present at the event.

Looking Ahead

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are now gearing up for the third US–Africa Frontiers symposium, to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, on February 18 to 20, 2025. The meeting will focus on new scientific innovations in decarbonization, precision agriculture, biotechnology, space research, and smart and connected cities. The call for the upcoming symposium in Rwanda generated over 500 applications from outstanding researchers in the United States and 31 African countries. The applications undergo a rigorous review process by an oversight committee of academy members as well as well-established African researchers. Only about 13% of the applicants are selected to participate, along with invited speakers and organizers.

The 2025 symposium will be hosted by the Republic of Rwanda in partnership with the Rwandan Ministry of Education (27). The Republic of Rwanda has been playing a leading role on the continent by pioneering new S&T initiatives and serving as a regional tech hub. Only 30 years after enduring a genocide, Rwanda ranks among the top countries in Africa in terms of technological readiness and innovation, applications for grants, trademarks and registered design, and ease of doing business (28). The country launched a new space program by establishing the Rwandan Space Agency in 2020 (29), as well as ambitious smart city initiatives (30). For example, Rwanda is currently developing the Kigali Innovation City (KIC) in its capital, a major project to foster innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship. KIC is envisioned as a hub for information technology and knowledge-based industries, designed to attract local and international tech companies, startups, and research institutions (31). Holding the 2025 US-Africa Frontiers in Kigali, “the Silicon Valley of Africa” (32), will inspire US and African attendees to leverage S&T advances to nurture and transform collaborations into real solutions.

In 2016, Rwandan President Paul Kagame stated at The World Academy of Sciences 27th general meeting (33): “In the developing world in particular, science plays a critical role in our socioeconomic transformation by helping to narrow the gap between us and the more developed regions.” By providing a unique platform to engage and connect brilliant young researchers, the US-Africa Frontiers program is empowering talent in Africa and the United States to use science and technology to bridge existing gaps and drive development at home and globally. Through sustained engagement and support over the coming years, the US-Africa Frontiers program alumni are well-positioned to become future leaders who will, by working together, play a major role in solving humanity’s most pressing problems.