Joint US-Africa Materials Institute (JUAMI)
One strategy for addressing the challenge of economic development in Africa is to create a scientifically- and technically-literate pool of individuals who can serve to drive the engine of home-grown innovation.
JUAMI is an NSF-funded collaboration between Northwestern, Columbia University and the University of Michigan that aims to:
- Help build research level scientific knowledge and capabilities in Materials Science in Africa
- Establish US-African collaborations
- Teach frontier research topics to young US and African researchers
- Increase awareness and international communication
The first JUAMI summer institute was held in Arusha, Tanzania, from May 29-June 10, 2016. The institute was a great success, attracting graduate students in materials science from across Africa and the U.S. Northwestern has received NSF funding for a second JUAMI Materials Science Institute in December 2018 in Kampala, Uganda. Denise Drane evaluated the first institute and will evaluate the second. She will be partnering with Dr. Michael Walimbwa from the School of Education at Makerere University in Kampala to insure that the evaluation is as culturally sensitive as possible.
Multidisciplinary NeuroAIDS Research Training to Improve HIV Outcomes
Nigeria
The Searle Center is evaluating an NIH D43 training grant lead by Dr. Babafemi Taiwo from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern.
With 3.5 million people living with HIV, Nigeria has the second-highest HIV prevalence in the world. Brain disorders in people living with HIV (NeuroAIDS) include mental health disorders and neurocognitive or neurological impairment from direct or indirect effects of HIV. These disorders disrupt quality of life and economic productivity, and can shorten survival.
This training program aims to expand the cadre of skilled, multidisciplinary researchers and outstanding research support staff, ensuring emergence of broad and integrated NeuroAIDS expertise at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
