Dear Reader,
The end of 2021 is here and yet it feels like the year started yesterday. That is a reminder that though time is an ever present resource, it is an irreplaceable perishable good. Within the limits of what is humanly possible we should complete the work that should be completed today. We should embrace 2022 with a resolve to complete what must be completed as soon as possible and before diverting to new agendas. I thank all stakeholders for making THRiVE a recognized high-quality research capacity building initiative contributing immensely to enhancing excellence in research and science on the African continent especially in East Africa. It is gratifying to see that resident African researchers are increasingly winning globally competitive grants and contributing to the global health research agendas important to Africa. Dr Francis Collins, who has been NIH Director (USA) for 12 years, summarized this very well on his last day in that office on December 19, 2021. He reiterated the importance of funding African investigators directly to identify and pursue research-based solutions for local priorities. He stated,
“Scientists on the African continent are now the recipients of one-third of all NIH merit-based grant awards to foreign institutions globally—a stark reversal from the scenario ten years ago, when virtually all NIH support to African scientists constituted sub-contracts to U.S. institutions”.
In this respect with this we celebrate all our Fellows. Success in grant making is illustrated in this issue of THRiVE News by Angelina Kakooza, a post-doc fellow who recently won an NIH grant to research on epilepsy. She is a very strong advocate for embedding public engagement in research, an area THRiVE has emphasized in doctoral training. Merry Christmas, Happy holidays, and a prosperous New year.
THRIVE NEWSLETTER 2021 OCT - DEC 2021