DS-I Africa Consortium: Harnessing the power of partnerships for data science in Africa
Keywords: DS-I Africa, Partnership, Networking Exchange, Data Science
Abstract: The Harnessing Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa) initiative is funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), is led by African investigators, and includes a Coordinating Center based at the University of Cape Town. DS-I Africa aims to leverage data science technologies to transform biomedical and behavioral research in Africa and develop solutions to the region's most pressing public health problems through a robust ecosystem including partners from the academic, government, and private sectors. Partnerships, especially across disciplines, sectors, and geographies, are a core aspect of the DS-I Africa’s approach to data science and health research. The DS-I Africa Coordinating Center and the Partnerships and Outreach Working group actively support the facilitation of partnerships within the DS-I Africa consortium and more broadly outside the consortium. This is accomplished through active outreach and communications, internal and external discussions, and unique mechanisms such as the Networking Exchange events. The Networking Exchange brings interested individuals together in a virtual or in-person forum to learn from each other and to explore potential collaborations. Through these activities, several key lessons have emerged: 1) Diverse partnerships foster creativity and strengthen projects; 2) Creating opportunities for networking is preferable to matchmaking; and 3) Rapid changes in the data science field require constant scoping for opportunities. DS-I Africa is committed to supporting a culture of partnerships, collaboration, and networking across the data science community in Africa.
Submission Category: Machine learning algorithms
Submission Number: 66
Loading