The document outlines the capacity building initiatives by the BECAL-ILRI Hub to enhance scientific leadership in Africa's biosciences, including annual training workshops and fellowship programs for early-career scientists. Key areas of training include molecular biology, lab management, bioinformatics, and scientific writing, aimed at addressing food insecurity. The hub collaborates with regional institutions to support research and identify priority areas for development in the biosciences sector.

1. Nurturing science leadership in Africa
Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute
(BecA-ILRI) Hub Capacity building activities
Annual hands-on training workshops
The BecA-ILRI Hub conducts four annual workshops in key skills areas:
 Introduction to molecular biology and bioinformatics (May)
 Introduction to principles in lab management (June)
 Advanced bioinformatics (August)
 Scientific writing (November)
The BecA-ILRI Hub has a strong program in capacity building and
training focused on increasing the capability of African scientists
to use tools of modern biology in addressing food insecurity on
the continent.
In order to achieve this important mission, the BecA-ILRI Hub has
a core capacity building team who are greatly supported by staff
from the faculty organizations within our fraternity.
Fellowships
The Africa Biosciences Challenge Fund (ABCF) fellowship program was designed
to facilitate access to the state-of-the-art facilities at the BecA-ILRI Hub for early
career African scientists from National Agricultural Research institutions and
universities.Through this program, the scientists are able to spend up to six
months at the Hub working on their own projects or strengthening ongoing
projects within ILRI.
2011-2014 Capacity
Building budget:
USD 4,870,756
Project Principal Investigator
Capacity and Action for Aflatoxin Reduction in Eastern Africa (CAAREA) Jagger Harvey
Nutritional characterization and value addition of amaranth vegetable
and grain by low cost sustainable processing: towards poverty reduction,
food and nutrition security in Kenya and Tanzania (Amaranth)
Daniel Sila
Domestication of wild edible mushroom species in Eastern Africa
(Mushrooms)
Amelia Kivaisi
Harnessing husbandry of domestic cavy for alternative and rapid access
to food and income in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (Cavies)
Felix Meutchieye
Understanding the epidemiology of African swine fever: as a prerequisite
for mitigation of disease impact on pig keeping in East Africa (African
Swine fever)
Richard Bishop
Development of Improved Control Interventions for Peste des Petits
Ruminants (PPR)
Jeff Mariner
Providing proof of concept for the development of an inactivated vaccine
for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP)
Joerg Jores
Harnessing genetic diversity for improving livestock productivity: goats Morris Agaba
Molecular diagnosis of crop and livestock disease Timothy Holton
Tissue culture and virus indexing for production of virus-free planting
materials in Africa
Timothy Holton
BecA-Swedish University of agriculture sciences bioinformatics capacity
building partnership
Appolinaire Djikeng
Safe food fair food Delia Grace
2010: 4
2011:9
2012: 62
Increase in number of fellowships
Institutional support
The BecA-ILRI Hub reaches out to institutions in the region to raise awareness of
the facilities at the Hub while identifying key laboratories and individuals who are
strategically placed to benefit from its support. Hub scientists work with
researchers from visited countries to develop plans for research and capacity
building.The visits also help identify priority research areas in which the Hub
should expand, based on the needs of researchers and institutions in the region.
For further information email: r.skilton@cgiar.org/v.aloo@cgiar.org
Dawit Beyene, a researcher at
the Ethiopian Institute of
Agriculture during his six-month
placement at the BecA-ILRI Hub.
Research assistant Moses Njahira
(standing)) takes Prime Gahunga
through a protocol at the bench.
Prime is a researcher at the Rwanda
Agricultural Board on a six-month
placement through a co-funding with
ASARECA.
BecA-ILRI Hub Projects hosting Research Fellows
Benoit Gnonlonfin participates in a radio broadcast in Gabon that
highlights the BecA-ILRI Hub
Research technician Immaculate Wanjuki training Joel Erasto, a
laboratory technician from the Mikocheni Agricultural Research
Institute (MARI),Tanzania on fungal evaluation and identification
Participants at an Introduction to bioinformatics and genomics
workshop conducted at the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar
by BecA-ILRI Hub post doctoral scientist Francesca Stomeo and
bioinformatician, Joyce Nzioki
Mobilizing biosciences for Africa’s development
This document is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License
July 2013
http://hub.africabiosciences.org