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Creating a Dynamic Environment for Research and Innovation Across Africa .

Economic Growth and Trade | Business Enabling Environment | Cross-Sector Development
Africa

Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund

Project Dates: July 2021 - March 2024
Strengthening African research and innovation systems to deliver homegrown solutions to African communities’ social, economic, and health challenges.

Flourishing research and innovation systems spur inclusive economic growth and development. The Research and Information Systems in Africa (RISA) Fund is a multi-country project, funded by the UK, through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), to support research and innovation systems strengthening in Africa. RISA supports and strengthens research and innovation systems in six countries: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Ethiopia. 

From strengthening intellectual property systems to turning academic research into technology products and businesses, RISA works with and joins research generators and users to identify innovations and bring them to fruition. RISA equips these organizations with the evidence, training, and technical support necessary to identify and scale appropriate, commercially viable innovations.

RISA will also run a competitive grants program. The grant-funded projects will seek to build intellectual capital in target countries, diversify innovation and research talent pools, provide access to financing, and support networking to facilitate productive relationships within national research communities.

RISA aims to enable African institutions like universities and think tanks to access the knowledge, partners, investors, and markets they need to generate actionable research and influence policy. The program will fund platforms that enable stakeholders to share their knowledge, collaboratively propose and test innovations, and foster sustainable socioeconomic growth and development.

For more information, visit the RISA Website or find RISA on LinkedIn or on X.

Project Goals


  • Enable research organizations to produce relevant, high-quality research
  • Build a supportive, inclusive environment for researchers and research organizations
  • Seed, strengthen, and scale new and emerging technologies with a high potential for poverty reduction and inclusive growth
  • Identify and support partnerships between research and innovation systems that will improve their integration and coordination

Consortium Partners:

  • Results for Development
  • SOAS University

This program is funded by UK International Development from the UK Government.

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