Online Reporter
Peter Matika
REPRESENTATIVES from 12 African countries are gathered in Bulawayo for a three-day Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) meeting for Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the implementation of the digital grant management system.
The meeting seeks to explore practical strategies for system customisation, long-term sustainability, and future collaboration aimed at transforming the continent’s research and innovation landscape.
Organised by the Association of African Universities (AAU), in collaboration with the Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ), the ‘Peer-to-Peer Learning Meeting’ runs from 10 to 12 December 2025 under SGCI Phase II+, bringing together core information technology and grants management experts from selected Science Granting Councils.
This includes councils from regional peers – Malawi, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Namibia, Ghana, Senegal, Botswana, and Uganda.
The meeting is expected to build on ongoing collaborative efforts by the AAU and other partners with the participating councils to strengthen digital grants management capacity across the SGCI network.
The Digital Grants Management System (DGMS) was introduced and supported under SGCI Phase II to enhance the efficiency and transparency of research funding processes across participating councils.
In his remarks, Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ) executive director, Dr Partson Chikudza said as SGCI Phase II concludes, there is a critical need to consolidate the progress made and maintain momentum into the next phase of the Initiative.
“The 2025 Peer-to-Peer Learning Meeting is a timely opportunity for councils to take stock of achievements, lessons learned, and challenges encountered in rolling out their DGMS platforms,” he said.
