TWAS, Microsoft, and the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) Announce Funding Programmes to Support Scientists in AfricaTWAS, the academy of sciences of the developing world, Microsoft Research, and the African Academy of Science (AAS) announce the creation of the Microsoft Awards and Grants programme. TRIESTE — 10 Nov 2008 — Microsoft Research, in partnership with TWAS (the academy of sciences for the developing world) and AAS (the African Academy of Sciences), will support two new programmes designed to recognise and assist scientists working in Africa in the field of computer science.
The Microsoft Award for Young Scientists will recognise young scientists in Africa whose research in computer science promises to have a positive impact in the developing world. Each year, three winners will be selected from different countries on the continent. Scientists who have received their most recent research degree within the past 10 years will be eligible. Each recipient will receive a €7,000 cash award. Nominations may be made by members of national academies and senior academics. Winners will be chosen on the basis of their past achievements. The nomination and selection process will be administered by TWAS in collaboration with AAS. The first winners of the prize will be announced in 2009. The award ceremonies will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, and organised by TWAS and AAS. The Microsoft Grant for Scientific Meetings in Developing Countries aims to encourage the organisation of international and regional scientific conferences and workshops in Africa. Microsoft will provide support in the form of travel grants for some principal speakers from abroad and/or participants from developing countries other than the country in which the event is held. Applicants, who may be of any nationality, must be involved in the organisation of international or regional scientific meetings to be held in Africa in the field of computer science. Selection will be undertaken by TWAS. "To achieve the Millennium Development Goals, Africa must create knowledge- and skills-based wealth,” said Dr Cheick Modibo Diarra, Microsoft’s Chairman for Africa. “The prosperity of the continent is dependent on African small and medium enterprises relying on results from research and development. They can then develop locally relevant solutions and value-added opportunities that will lead to the accelerated industrialisation of Africa." Andrew Herbert, managing director of Microsoft Research Cambridge, added: "Computer science has a key role to play in tackling some of the developing world’s greatest challenges, from education to infrastructure, and so it’s vital that we support and encourage the scientists and researchers who are working to address these issues." "TWAS and AAS are always eager to work with the private sector for the benefit of the developing world,” said Mohamed H.A. Hassan, executive director of TWAS and president of AAS. “We believe that this initiative will not only mark an important step forward for science in Africa, but will also serve as a valuable model for future partnerships between international organisations and for-profit companies." About TWAS Based in Trieste, Italy, and founded in 1983, TWAS is the world’s foremost academy for scientists from the developing world. Its membership currently consists of 871 eminent scientists, more than 80 percent of whom live and work in developing countries. The Academy’s objectives are to recognize, support and promote excellence in scientific research in the developing world; provide promising scientists in the South with the research facilities necessary to advance their work; facilitate contacts between individual scientists and institutions; encourage South-North cooperation between individuals and centres of scholarships; and promote scientific research on major challenges faced by developing countries. TWAS sponsors a large number of research and training, including research grants programmes, fellowships, visiting scientist programmes, and awards and prizes. The Academy also works closely with other Trieste-based international scientific organizations that include the InterAcademy Panel, the InterAcademy Medical Panel and the Third World Organization for Women in Science in the Developing World (TWOWS). Core funding for TWAS is provided by the Italian government and the Academy functions under the administrative umbrella of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). For additional information, see
http://www.twas.org. About the African Academy of Sciences Based in Nairobi, Kenya, and founded in 1985, the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is an autonomous continent-wide, non-political and non-profit organization of senior scientists, science policy experts and science managers. The mission of AAS is to promote excellence in science and technology, and capacity building for science-led development in the African continent, AAS currently has more than 120 Fellows from over 25 countries and 4 Foreign Fellows. The objectives of AAS are to promote and foster the growth of the scientific community, and to stimulate and nurture the spirit of scientific discovery and technological innovation, in Africa; to design and coordinate regional interdisciplinary scientific research and development; to plan, convene and coordinate science education programmes of crucial importance to Africa; to help in developing high-level scientific and technological human resources in Africa; and to facilitate the publication of information on scientific progress in Africa in the media. Major AAS programmes include the African Training for Leadership and Advanced Skills; Capacity Building in Soil and Water Management; Prizes/Awards in Agricultural Biosciences; African Forestry Research Network; and the Academy Science Publishers. More information can be found at
http://www.aasciences.org/. About Microsoft Research Founded in 1991, Microsoft Research is dedicated to conducting both basic and applied research in computer science and software engineering. Its goals are to enhance the user experience on computing devices, reduce the cost of writing and maintaining software, and invent novel computing technologies. Researchers focus on more than 55 areas of computing and collaborate with leading academic, government and industry researchers to advance the state of the art in such areas as graphics, speech recognition, user-interface research, natural language processing, programming tools and methodologies, operating systems and networking, and the mathematical sciences. Microsoft Research currently employs more than 800 people in six labs located in Redmond, Washington; Cambridge, Massachusetts ; Silicon Valley, California; Cambridge, England; Beijing, China; and Bangalore, India. Microsoft Research collaborates openly with colleges and universities worldwide to enhance the teaching and learning experience, inspire technological innovation, and broadly advance the field of computer science. More information can be found at http://www.research.microsoft.com. About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.
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Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 16,000 people in over 64 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.
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