In the Congo Basin Science Initiative Science and Capacity Plan, we highlight the need for researchers and students in the Congo Basin to have access to a fund where they can speedily and efficiently apply for small amounts of funding for field data collection, equipment purchase, or visits to other institutions to learn a skill or carry out analysis. This allows central African researchers to have autonomy to do science, and not be constrained by only participating in projects funded and managed from the Global North.
Here we share details of the ASPIRE Grant Program, a groundbreaking initiative to enable African early career scholars to conduct research in biodiversity, conservation and environmental sustainability in the Congo Basin. As the Program enters its tenth year, the ASPIRE Impact Report illustrates how much it has achieved over that time.
For more information on how you can support the ASPIRE Grant Program, contact Lucia Bolzoni lbolzoni@lifesci.ucla.edu
Visit the ASPIRE website