Why science communication

Created by an experienced team of scientists, professionals, African and global partners who have established a series of major science initiatives across the continent, SFA Foundation is revolutionising approaches to advance the development of science and innovation on the continent. It is implementing major science programmes, including the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science Africa (DELTAS Africa); the Grand Challenges Africa (GC Africa) programme; Open Research Africa (ORA) and Public Engagement with Science, among others. SFA Foundation supported scientists drive locally relevant and high-quality research impacting on science, policy and practice in Africa and contributing to improved health and development on the continent and globally. For the research to impact policy and practice, there needs to be visibility and uptake of science. To enable this, the Foundation is showcasing the impact of science in collaboration with key stakeholders including the African scientific community and national, regional and global partners.

Additionally, science news has always struggled to compete with politics, sports and entertainment for public attention and perhaps most alarmingly, this trend away from dedicating resources to science journalism, coincides with an era where the public’s understanding of truth, trustworthiness, and responsible communication has been upended due to varying forces. Thus, less professional science journalism has left a void that is filled with disinformation and misinformation, resulting in the sad fact that actual data and logical, compelling analysis don’t always prevail in public discourse. The SFA Foundation sees science communication as an avenue for reaching audiences with a clear and credible message that will not only improve understanding of science but also the visibility of science done on the continents and, in turn, the scientists who conduct the science.

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SFA Foundation’s science communication portfolio

Ultimately, the SFA Foundation’s science communication is geared at:

• communicating scientific knowledge, evidence and facts for use in decision making and Africa’s development
• increasing visibility and recognition of an existing and rising African scientific community and leadership
• showcasing SFA Foundation funded programmes

Accompanying activities that are therefore specifically designed to showcase science on the continent are the:

• Calestous Juma Science Leadership Fellowship developed as a response to the need for communities of scientific leaders to spearhead matters of global health after the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Africa Science Journalism Awards which seek to recognise and honour excellent reporting on science and innovation in Africa and also aim to improve and increase coverage of science on the continent.
• DELTAS Africa Science Communication Network to network, share ideas and collaborate on improving the visibility of science in Africa