While East Africa has many talented and committed researchers, professional development and training programs for early-career researchers are rare; mentorship and supervision is lacking in a university system straining to meet the needs of growing undergraduate populations; and many researchers must teach themselves new methods and techniques. There is a need for more research tailored to local contexts and needs, created with and for the communities it serves.

Led by Mai Skovgaard and team at the International Network for Advancing Science and Policy (INASP), this project aims to harness the transformative potential of open science in East Africa by empowering talented young researchers who address critical questions facing their nations and communities. The project team plans to do this by establishing a digital East African open research learning hub, with a focus on Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The hub will be hosted on INASP's AuthorAID platform, which already connects 14,000 early career researchers across the majority world.

The project will leverage INASP's experience in digital learning and community-building to develop a five-module digital learning program on open research practices for the hub. This program will combine facilitated asynchronous learning with live masterclasses. They also plan on awarding up to three small grants to local teams to build on the learning program.