A Stronger African Voice in Global Climate Adaptation Science

Dr Miriam Ameworwor was recently appointed as a mentor within the Emerging Adaptation Professionals (EAP) Knowledge Catalyst Fellowship. For the next four months, he will focus on helping students from African Universities strengthen their academic writing skills and expand their knowledge, ensuring their manuscripts are improved and ready for publication in high-impact journals. The program targets PhD and master’s students who are completing their studies and working toward finalising their research.

As part of this, she recently participated in a three-day writeshop and symposium organised by the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) in Accra, Ghana, from 15–17 June 2026. This event brought together researchers from across Africa to explore strategies for communicating the findings of climate adaptation research to their target audiences. At the symposium, she co-facilitated the session on Natural Resources and Ecosystems alongside Dr Fenet Belay. The session focused on effective approaches for translating technical research findings on ecosystem resilience, biodiversity conservation, and natural systems governance into actionable messages that can drive meaningful impact. The discussions highlighted the importance of co-creation and indigenous and local knowledge systems in conducting scientific research that meets community needs.

On the last day of the symposium, the team visited her institute, the CSIR-Water Research Institute, for an excursion to gain practical insights into adaptation research and implementation related to climate-smart aquaculture and water management, and weather monitoring for climate research.

As part of a weekly fellowship webinar, she delivered a session on the topic ‘Co-management: A community-based approach to the adoption of climate adaptation strategies.’ The webinar focused on how climate adaptation strategies should be implemented to create the needed impact. However, the audience was not able to share their views due to technical challenges.

How did this opportunity come about?

The opportunity to become a mentor in the Adaptation Research Alliance Emerging Adaptation Professionals (EAP) Knowledge Catalyst Fellowship came about through my network with Dr Ruth Wainaina, the Project lead, who is also a fellow of FAR-LeaF II.  This is a benefit from the networking opportunities the FAR-LeaF programme offered.

Please tell us more about your mentorship role with the African Center for Technology Studies.

As a mentor, my role is to support the academic development of the fellows assigned to me in disseminating research findings.  This includes providing support with scientific writing and empowering fellows to produce high-quality, impactful research publications that directly address real-world challenges. Providing information on the conditions to be met to achieve satisfactory progress and assisting with the construction of an effective work plan. As I mentor the fellows, I am to make constructive technical comments and criticism on their written work, which is submitted to me at intervals, within a time frame jointly agreed on with the fellow. I am also introducing them to relevant academic and professional networks that will aid their academic development.

You will work closely with postgraduate students over the next few months. Tell us more about what this entails.

This entails constant communication with these students as they work on their manuscripts. I must be accessible to the EAPs and honour the meeting schedule agreed upon with each fellow to review progress. It requires identifying their challenges within the project and providing the necessary advice. It also requires relaying the challenges to the project team for intervention when needed. Working with postgraduate students also allows both mentors and mentees to learn from each other as researchers through the sharing of ideas.

Beyond this, I will help the fellows set realistic goals, manage timelines, and meet milestones on schedule. Also, over the next few months, I will be working to help them understand and adhere to research ethics, academic integrity, responsible data management, and proper citation practices.

How does this affect your career?

Mentoring in the fellowship benefits my career, in addition to supporting students' development. It will contribute to my research portfolio through co-authored publications. It will also build my leadership and supervisory experience and improve my teaching and communication skills. Mentoring in this fellowship programme expanded my professional network. The Ghana Write Shop and Symposium particularly connected me with other participants beyond my mentees, allowing me to learn about their expertise and explore opportunities for collaboration.

How will it impact your time in a practical sense?

In practice, the mentorship role requires a significant time commitment beyond my formal research responsibilities. Regular one-on-one meetings are scheduled biweekly to discuss research progress, challenges, and next steps. Answering emails and messages, providing timely guidance between scheduled meetings, and participating in other activities of the implementing institution all demand time outside my formal responsibilities. One of the most time-intensive aspects of the mentoring role is reviewing mentees' written work. This will require me to readjust my schedule to accommodate these activities.

What do you see as the ultimate outcome of this project?

For me, it will be the contribution to getting EAP research findings to the target audience through publication, to encourage adoption and create lasting impacts in climate adaptation. Expanded professional networks and sustained research impact through long-term collaborations with my mentees and other networks formed through the programme are expected outcomes of the Adaptation Research Alliance Emerging Adaptation Professionals (EAPs) Knowledge Catalyst Fellowship.

The Africa Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) implements a six-month fellowship programme to support early-career adaptation professionals in Africa in producing policy-relevant, publishable research aligned with IPCC AR7 priorities. Through targeted training, individualised mentorship and an interactive write-shop hosted by the ACTS Pathways Academy, the project aims to increase the visibility and influence of African adaptation individualised research in global assessment and policy processes. The Secretariat offers coordination, quality assurance, and connections to journals and global platforms. The approach aims to keep transaction costs low and direct support towards meaningful outputs. Read more about the programme here: https://www.scienceblog.africa/post/far-leaf-fellows-pay-it-forward

Dr Miriam Ameworwor in conversation with Heidi Sonnekus (FAR-LeaF Programme)