The Africa Initiative announces a call for applications for the 2012 graduate research grant program. Grants of up to $10,000 (CAD) will be awarded to 15 African students applying to study in Canada and 15 Canadian students to conduct field-based research in Africa. Applications must be submitted by January 15, 2012. As part of the Africa Initiative, a joint undertaking by The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in cooperation with Makerere University and the South African Institute for International Affairs, the Africa Initiative Graduate Research Grant will give special consideration to proposals that present new and policy relevant research, and that cover one or more of the areas of conflict resolution, energy, food security, health, migration and climate change. Successful applicants who are currently enrolled in an African university will spend up to three months at a Canadian university undertaking research funded by the program. The research will lead to a major paper to be considered for publishing.
Jobs and Announcements
The Youth Initiative of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) is currently seeking proposals from eligible registered NGO’s for up to US$10,000 in funding to develop and curate thematic pages on a new global youth portal and community being developed at www.youthpolicy.org. Youthpolicy.org aims to consolidate knowledge and information on youth policies across the international sector, ranging from analysis and formulation to implementation and evaluation. Themes include, but are not limited to: participation and citizenship; activism and volunteering; children and youth rights; youth with disabilities; global drug policy; community work; research and knowledge; informal learning; youth, environment and sustainability; multiculturalism and minorities; and youth justice.
The Healthcare in Africa conference will take place from 6-7 March 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa. It aims to bring together influential healthcare stakeholders from government, providers, suppliers and patient groups to confront and explore key issues around healthcare systems in Africa. Activities include interactive online brainstorming sessions, presentations of case studies and lectures form specialists and other stakeholders in healthcare in Africa. The following topics will be addressed: What is the right balance of private and public healthcare for Africa? How can healthcare systems best meet the demands of both infectious and chronic diseases? What are the best practices for affordable medicine in Africa, and what can be learnt from other emerging markets?
Forum 2012 will bring together key actors to make research and innovation work for health, equity and development: governments, industry, social enterprise, non-governmental organisations, researchers, media, funders , international organisations and others. Partipcipants will explore who will explore ways to go ‘beyond aid’ by building on the rapidly expanding research and innovation capacity of low- and middle-income countries as basis for development. The Forum has three main themes: improving and increasing investments in research and innovation; networking and partnerships in research, technological innovations, social innovations and delivery of better health care; and improvement of health, equity and development of low-income countries by creating a supportive environment, including priority setting in research for health, fair research contracting, research cooperation and ethics, nanotechnologies, technological and social innovations, and using the web as a tool for planning research.
SEYCOHAIDS 2012 is the largest international gathering for young people on HIV and AIDS in the Eastern and Southern Africa region, where young researchers, policy makers, activists, educators and people living with HIV will be able to link with people in other countries and meet to share and learn about HIV prevention methods, treatments, care policies and programmes relating to HIV and AIDS in Africa. The broad objectives for the Conference are to: ensure effective and meaningful youth participation in international AIDS response; identify gaps and challenges in government policies in providing youth-friendly HIV and AIDS services; develop regional and country-level strategic programmes for youth and HIV and AIDS; identify and build the capacity of new and emerging youth leaders for the AIDS response to ensure sustainability of youth initiatives at the national, regional and international levels; sustain adult-youth partnerships and dialogue; develop the Southern and Eastern Africa youth network on HIV and AIDS; develop country specific youth networks on HIV and AIDS; establish funding mechanisms for regional and country youth networks; and monitor government and donor commitments to youth and HIV and AIDS. Applicants must be no older than 35 years old at the time of the application.
The Third Annual Healthcare Summit will be held from 24 to 26 January 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a three-day event that deals with all the current issues facing the stakeholders in the healthcare industry. This year’s Summit will focus on the latest developments surrounding healthcare reform in South Africa in both private and public sectors and in particular the impact the NHI is likely to have on the industry. Key topics being addressed include: the impact the NHI will have on the healthcare industry; how the Consumer Protection Act affects the industry; the escalating cost of private healthcare; the pricing structure of doctors vs. those of medical schemes; international benchmarking of pharmaceuticals; the funding of hospitals and how it will improve healthcare facilities; quality assurance in the healthcare industry; the latest fraud trends and their effect on the healthcare industry; and balancing technology advancements against costs.
The First Global Climate and Health Summit aims to bring together key health sector actors to discuss the impacts of climate change on public health and solutions that promote greater health and economic equity between and within nations. The Summit is geared to build the profile of the health sector vis-à-vis the COP17 negotiations in Durban, and to also help build a broader, longer lasting global movement for a healthy climate. Objectives of the Summit include: raise the profile of public health and the health sector vis-à-vis the public debate and global negotiations on climate change; catalyse greater health sector engagement on climate issues in a broad diversity of countries; build a common, more coordinated approach to addressing the health impacts of climate change; and develop shared advocacy strategies for strong national and global policy measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
In line with its mandate to promote high-level scientific and academic debates on various aspects of socio-economic development in Africa, the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) hereby announces the 2011 edition of its Gender Symposium which will be held from 1-3 November, 2011, in Cairo, Egypt. The Gender Symposium is a forum organised annually by CODESRIA to discuss gender issues in Africa, and the theme of this year’s edition is Gender and the Media in Africa.
The University of Oxford is seeking applications from students ordinarily resident in South Africa for the 2012 Oppenheimer Fund Scholarships to pursue graduate studies in a variety of fields at Oxford. The Oppenheimer Fund Scholarships are available for ordinarily resident South African students wishing to start any new degree bearing course, with the exception of Post Graduate Certificate and Post Graduate Diploma courses, at the University of Oxford.
The International Development Research Centre and the Canadian Global Tobacco Control Forum are calling for concept notes concerning the expansion of fiscal policies for global and national tobacco control. The key objective of this call is to generate knowledge designed to accelerate the adoption of effective fiscal policies for tobacco control in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Key thematic areas include: research on the impact of various types of tobacco taxes or pricing policies; region-based research to establish actual and model budgets for tobacco control; research on coordinated regional and global taxes, tariffs and/or other levies on tobacco products and the profits from tobacco sales; and research to identify barriers to, and strategies for, accessing Official Development Assistance for tobacco control. The principal applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident of a LMIC and with a primary work affiliation in a LMIC institution.