According to a statement from the institution that VerAngola had access to, candidates must present a one-year R&D proposal that contributes to the management of water resources or food security issues.
Proposals focused on the needs of small farmers (e.g. agriculture, agricultural water use, regenerative agriculture, water productivity, irrigation systems, nutrient management, infestations, among others) and fisheries (e.g. aquaculture, adequacy of habitat, blooms, implications of climate change) are "especially welcome".
The activity will be coordinated and aligned with the EO AFRICA R&D Initiative, which provides educational opportunities and scientific tools for selected African Research Fellows.
"The EO AFRICA Space Academy and its Digital Campus will provide access to a wide range of experiences and knowledge to be shared with research fellows. Whereas the EO AFRICA Innovation Lab will allow African researchers to collaborate directly with European scientists and implement their research ideas," says the space agency.
Program
The African Research Fellowship (ARF) programme, run jointly by ESA with the African Union Commission, aims to enable African researchers (PhD or Masters with extensive research experience) to carry out Earth Observation R&D activities relevant to the EO AFRICA Initiative – African Framework for Research, Innovation, Communities and Applications Building an African-European R&D partnership.
African Research Fellows are expected to maximize the use of Earth Observation data in synergy with in-situ and cutting-edge modeling approaches, in a cloud environment, to respond to the challenges facing the African continent in relation to water resources management and food security.
Objectives of the Research Fellowship
According to the ESA, the objectives of the grant relate to the development of R&D activities carried out by young African researchers with a focus on the main African challenges and knowledge gaps, which can support Africa and the global environmental and development agendas.
They should also explore ICT capabilities that help maximize the use of Earth Observation data available on the continent and promote an open science approach where sharing data, results and knowledge will be at the heart of the value chain.
