FAR-LeaF fellows pay it forward
- May 15
- 2 min read
The Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA) launched the Knowledge Catalyst Grant for Emerging Adaptation Professionals (EAP) in the Global South in 2025 to enhance their contribution to global climate knowledge processes, including the IPCC Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), especially Working Group II. It aims to assist early-career researchers, practitioners, and knowledge brokers in transforming existing or near-complete work into peer-reviewed or high-impact publications.
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.
The ACTS is leading the implementation of this intent in the African region by inviting emerging adaptation professionals (EAPs) with near-complete research manuscripts to apply for a fellowship program. Dr Ruth Wainaina and colleagues developed a fellowship proposal based on Wainaina's combined experiences of the Future Africa Research Leadership Fellowship (FAR-LeaF) Programme, where she is currently part of the second cohort of early-career research fellows and being an alumnus of the ACTS Pathways Academy (APA), where her research skills were shaped.
Within a two-week window, more than 80 near-complete research manuscripts were received, and the search began for mentors from across Africa who are well-published and well-exposed to adaptation research. Out of 11, four of the research fellows in the FAR-LeaF Programme volunteered for her programme as mentors:
Dr Miriam Ameworwor | Ghana
Dr Fenet Belay | Ethiopia
Dr Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum | Ghana
Dr Jabulani Nyengere | Malawi
Read more about each of the FAR-LeaF fellows' vision for the ACT research writing project:
Dr Wainaina expressed her gratitude to these research colleagues for expanding her networking scope and for the support she received: "I wish I could support my fellow research fellows in the FAR-LeaF and ARA project as much as I have been supported throughout my research journey. The mentors not only volunteered for manuscript development but also immediately became part of my key support system and recognised how to increase the value of the project outputs."
Each mentor was assigned three EAP fellows to assist with their manuscripts to be submitted by the end of July 2026, and form part of mentorship activities that take place twice per month, led by a single facilitator through webinars. In June, the project will include a writing workshop in Ghana, with participants engaging in a three-day in-person session on research, publication guidance, collaboration, and knowledge and experience sharing. Through a process of collective guidance, the EAPs will receive training and guidance in publishing research in open-access journals and on grey literature platforms supported by ARA and ACTS. The mentors will also have the opportunity to network, enhancing their chances of collaborative research.
Project summary submitted by Dr Ruth Wainaina
