Call for Application: First U.S.-Africa Frontiers Symposium, October 12-14, 2022 – Nairobi, Kenya

The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) in partnership with the African Academy of Sciences, is pleased to announce the first U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium. The inaugural meeting will be held on October 12-14, 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya. The call for applications is now open and scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from the U.S. and African Union member states are invited to submit their application online before the deadline of June 20, 2022, 11:59 PM EDT (Washington D.C. time).

Based on NASEM’s long-standing Frontiers programs, the U.S.-Africa Frontiers program intends to bring together outstanding early-career scientists, engineers, and medical professionals (within 15 years of most recent degree) from the United States and member countries of the African Union for a series of symposia to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in their fields. The goal of these meetings is to enhance the scientific exchange and dialogue among early-to-middle career researchers in African countries and the United States, including the African science diaspora, and through this interaction facilitate research collaboration within and beyond the region. Another unique aspect of the Frontiers events is the pluri-disciplinarity of the participants’ background and research interest.

One of the main objectives of this Frontiers symposium is to catalyze convergence research, innovation, and cross-pollination of ideas, unlike the traditional format of specialized conferences on a single topic. The upcoming symposium will address the following topics:

  • Session I: Artificial Intelligence
  • Session II: Materials Science
  • Session III: Biodiversity
  • Session IV: Climate Change and Food Security
  • Session V: Infectious Diseases

We strongly encourage young scientists, engineers and medical professionals working on related research to apply to this truly pluri-disciplinary meeting, as long as they fulfill the eligibility criteria. Please distribute to your interested colleagues and your network. Each general participant will also have the opportunity to present his or her research during poster sessions. Travel of selected participants will be covered.

Please remember to submit your application online by the deadline of June 20, 2022. The upcoming symposium is sponsored by the Rutter Foundation and the Office of Naval Research Global (ONR-G). For questions, please e-mail us at: USAfricaSTEM@nas.edu. For more information on the U.S.-Africa Frontiers Program, please visit the program website.

Thank you for your interest in the U.S.-Frontiers program, feel free to like us on Facebook. Hope to see many of you in Nairobi!