Science Initiative Group

The Science Initiative Group (SIG) is an international team of scientific leaders and supporters dedicated to fostering science in developing countries.^[1] SIG was formed to facilitate the Millennium Science Initiative (MSI).^[2]

As of 2013, SIG's major project is the Regional Initiative in Science and Education (RISE).^[3] RISE prepares PhD and MSc-level scientists and engineers in sub-Saharan Africa through university-based research and training networks in selected disciplines. Its primary emphases are on training new faculty to teach in African universities and on upgrading the qualifications of current faculty.^[4][5] Currently, 5 RISE networks are supported:

AMSEN, the African Materials Science and Engineering Network^[6] involving: University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; University of Nairobi, Kenya; University of Namibia; Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria; University of Botswana

RISE-AFNNET, the African Natural Products Network^[7] involving: Makerere University, Uganda; University of Nairobi, Kenya; Sokoine University, Tanzania

SABINA, the Southern African Biochemistry and Informatics Network^[8] involving: University of Malawi; University of Namibia; University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; University of Pretoria, South Africa; University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research), South Africa; Tea Research Foundation of Central Africa, Malawi

SSAWRN, the sub-Saharan Africa Water Resources Network^[9] including: Rhodes University, South Africa; Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique; University of Botswana; Makerere University, Uganda

WIO-RISE, the Western Indian Ocean Regional Initiative^[10] including: Institute of Marine Sciences,^[11] University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; School of Marine & Coastal Sciences,^[12] Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique; Oceanography Department,^[13] University of Cape Town, South Africa

SIG is governed by a six member board consisting of three scientists from developing countries, two leading US scientists and an entrepreneur.^[14] SIG is administered by a small staff based at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.^[15] Its executive director is Arlen Hastings,^[16] who co-founded SIG in 1998 with board members Griffiths, Hexner, Kim, Palis and Rao.

SIG's work is supported by grants from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York.

SIG Board Members

• Phillip A. Griffiths, Chairman; Professor Emeritus and former Director, Institute for Advanced Study
• Bruce Alberts, Editor-in-Chief, Science
• Mohamed H.A. Hassan, Executive Director (1985-2011) and Treasurer, Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS)
• J. Tomas Hexner, Entrepreneur, Development Consultant
• Jacob Palis, Professor and Director Emeritus, Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada (IMPA)
• C.N.R. Rao, National Research Professor, Honorary President, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research

Emeritus SIG Board Members

• Harold Varmus, Director, National Cancer Institute
• Chung W. Kim, Professor Emeritus and former Director, Korea Institute for Advanced Study (KIAS)

References

External links

• SIG Home Page