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January 18, 2012

Dr Allan Liavoga appointed Bio-Innovate Deputy Program Manager

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under Africa, Agriculture, BioInnovate, East Africa, Food Safety, Kenya | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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I am pleased to announce that Dr Allan Liavoga, a national of Kenya, has been appointed Bio-Innovate Deputy Program Manager since 16 January 2012. Dr Liavoga brings rich technical and managerial experiences from his more than 16 years of experience in agricultural biosciences.

Allan Liavoga holds a PhD in food science from Kansas State University, USA. Dr. Liavoga obtained his first degree in Dairy Science and Technology from Egerton University, and his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Food Chemistry from KSU, USA. He has post-doctoral research experience from KSU in analytical chemistry. Dr. Liavoga has also undergone specialized training on food safety aspects of biotechnology as a post-doctoral fellow at Michigan State University.

Before joining Bio-Innovate Program-ILRI, he was a program officer with the African Union – NEPAD Agency African Biosafety Network of Expertise for 3 years. At AU-NEPAD, he was lead technical person on safety of foods derived from GMOs and also coordinated biosafety capacity development activities for Kenya and Uganda. As a biosafety program officer at AU-NEPAD, Dr. Liavoga has trained regulators, scientists and policy makers across the continent on regulatory processes for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). He has also consulted in the development of biosafety guidelines and other technical tools required for regulating GMOs. Before joining AU-NEPAD, Dr. Liavoga worked as a graduate research assistant at the Grain Science and Industry Department of Kansas State University (KSU) for 7 years. He also worked for the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) as a research scientist for 6 years, initially at the National Plant Breeding Research Centre, Njoro as the head of the Cereal Chemistry Department and later at KARI Biotechnology Centre coordinating food safety activities.  Dr. Liavoga has published peer reviewed articles on regulating foods derived from agricultural biotechnology in addition to policy briefs communicating biosafety issues for policy makers and decision makers on the continent. He has published additional articles in refereed journals and a book chapter in the field of food science and technology.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Liavoga and wish him all the best in his new position.

Seyoum Leta (PhD)
Bio-Innovate Program Manager

 

December 19, 2011

Christmas and New Year greetings from Bioinnovate Africa

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under Africa, Agriculture, BioInnovate, East Africa, Innovations, Kenya | Tags: , , , |
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As the festive season ushers in and the year comes to an end, it is with profound appreciation to note that our focus in the year 2011 was on building functional innovation consortia teams responsible for taking bio-science Research for Development (R4D) and innovations to the market.

Appreciation to all the nine consortium teams for the enormous amount of work done, the nine innovations and policy consortia projects are now in place. These innovation and policy consortium projects are now running and are at different stages of implementation. This stupendous commitment is extremely important towards driving our shared agenda of addressing key constraints in the agricultural and environmental subsectors within the Eastern Africa region.

As we approach Christmas season, with all the elation, exhilaration, merriment and excitement, that are part of the tradition, I am glad to take this opportunity to extend Season’s Greetings and best wishes for the New Year 2012 to all our stakeholders, Sida, friends and associates, who have significantly contributed towards achievements of our objectives and intended targets. Your support during the year 2011 helped us on commencing the journey to fulfilling our mission of creating and promoting bio-resource-based innovation systems in Eastern Africa’s economic development processes.

I wish to acknowledge your diligent support that has significantly contributed towards achievements of our objectives in the last one year. I am confident that the spirit of support and cooperation displayed, this far, will be taken further in the New Year.

May we be ever mindful of the spirit of caring, sharing, love and generosity that the Christmas season brings to the fore as we seek to catalyze and deliver agricultural, environmental and industrial innovations that stimulate sustainable transformation, utilization and productivity of the region’s bio-resources.

I wish you all a very happy festive season and an incoming year filled with peace, joy, productivity and prosperity.

Seyoum Leta (PhD)
Bio-Innovate Program Manager

BioInnovate Africa logo ILRI Logo, square Sida logo
 

April 8, 2011

East African network to boost bioscience innovations

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under Africa, BioInnovate, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda | Tags: , , , , , , |
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Bio-Innovate launch: Announcement poster

Poster announcing the launch of the Bio-Innovate Program. Photo credit: ILRI

A hub to connect and fund East African agricultural researchers, and assist them in reaching out to the private sector, may yield products to aid the region’s development.

The Bioresources Innovation Network for Eastern Africa Development (Bio-Innovate) was officially launched in Nairobi last month (16 March) with a US$16.5 million, five-year grant from the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida). It will be managed by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and hosted at its Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa centre.

Seyoum Leta, programme manager of Bio-Innovate, said the initiative is expected to fill a long-standing “missing link” between research and market products, and inspire East African bioscientists to generate research that will accelerate the region’s development towards a future that is food-secure and resilient to climate change.

Read more… (SciDev.Net)

 

March 9, 2011

New Biosciences Innovation Program to fight food insecurity, climate change and environmental degradation across east Africa to be launched in Nairobi next week

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under Africa, BioInnovate, Environment, Innovations, Policy | Tags: |
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A new program that provides grants to bioscientists in eastern Africa working to improve food production and environmental management in this region will be officially launched on 16 March, 2011 at the Nairobi headquarters of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).

The newly established Bioresources Innovations Network for Eastern Africa Development (Bio-Innovate) Program – the first-of-its-kind in Africa – provides competitive grants to African researchers that are working with the private sector and non-governmental organizations, to find ways to improve food security, boost resilience to climate change and identify environmentally sustainable ways of producing food.

Bio-Innovate Program is managed by ILRI and co-located within the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub. Bio-Innovate will be implemented in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

 

November 17, 2010

BioInnovate receives additional grant from the Swedish International Development Agency for projects targeting climate change adaptation in Eastern Africa

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We are pleased to announce that the BioInnovate Program received an additional Fund amounting SEK 10M (1.3USD) for projects targeting climate change from the first call for proposals from Sida in September 2010, up from the initial grant of SEK 80m (USD 10.7m), from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) over the 5 year period (2010-2014). This increases the overall Program Budget to SEK 90 M (USD 12 M). This grant goes towards supporting BioInnovate project consortia from the first call in thematic areas 1 and 2 targeting climate change adaptation in Agriculture and the Environment in Eastern Africa.

The Bio-resources Innovations Network for Eastern Africa Development (BioInnovate) Program is a newly established multidisciplinary competitive funding mechanism, for biosciences and product oriented innovation activities in Eastern Africa, through the Biosciences Innovation Fund, supporting applications for regional, multi-disciplinary innovation projects in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The Bio-Innovate niche is characterized by a focus on the applications of bio-resource innovations, to support sustainable growth and transformation of the agricultural and environmental sub-sectors, from primary production to value addition, while enhancing adaptability to climatic change and strengthening innovation policy. The Program has four thematic areas (crop production, adaptability and diversification; environmental protection and management; technology incubation; and biosciences policy analysis), all of which are closely connected to and build on AU/NEPAD Consolidated Plan of Action for Africa’s Science and Technology.

In response to the First call for Concept Notes on Adapting to Climate Change in Agriculture and the Environment in Eastern Africa, the BioInnovate Program received a total of 44 Concept Notes from applicants from the six BioInnovate participating countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The BioInnovate Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) at its first meeting held on 18-19 August 2010 selected (shortlisted) 15 concept notes to be further developed into 7 full proposals comprising innovation consortia of related projects. All the successful innovation project consortia are targeting crop productivity and resilience to climate change in small-scale farming systems (thematic area 1), and improve the efficiency of the agro-processing industry to add value to local bio-resources in a sustainable manner (thematic area 2) in the Eastern Africa region to bring impacts on the ground.

The external peer-review evaluation process of the 7 full proposals was carried out from 4 – 15 October, 2010. All the full proposals that met the eligibility criteria were presented to the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for consideration for funding. In its 2nd meeting held on 22 – 23 October 2010, TAC recommended 5 full proposals for funding by the BioInnovate Program considering the creation of a balanced portfolio of projects, and taking into account the objectives of the call, quality of the proposals, advice from the evaluators, and the availability of funding.

It was envisaged that SEK 35m (USD 4.6m) is to be allocated to successful innovation project consortia from Themes 1 and 2, targeting climate change adaptation and or mitigation from this first call. With the additional fund of SEK 10M (USD 1.3M), the Program will be able to support up to 5 full innovation project consortia proposals from the first call in 2010. Lead Institutions of the five successful projects are to sign subcontracting agreements with ILRI, tentatively scheduled for late November 2010.

To this end, the BioInnovate Program Management Office and ILRI as the host Institution greatly acknowledge Sida for its continued support and commitment towards increased success of the BioInnovate projects and visibility of the Program in the Eastern Africa region and beyond.

 

November 8, 2010

The official opening of BecA’s state-of-the-art facilities at ILRI, Nairobi campus

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under Africa, BioInnovate, East Africa | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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President Mwai Kibaki is conducted on a tour of the Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa (BeCA) Hub facilities by Dan Kiambi during the official launch of the facility at International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) at Kabete, Nairobi.

The new Constitution will tremendously boost agricultural production and development in the country, President Mwai Kibaki has said.

Speaking today during the official opening of Bioscience Eastern and Central Africa Research Hub at the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi, President Kibaki acknowledged that the proposed devolved system of government will shorten the decision-making process on important agricultural programmes.

This, noted the Head of State will not only strengthen grassroots’ institutions but will also enhance identification, monitoring as well as evaluation of specific projects in various parts of the country.

Expressing the government’s commitment in strengthening agricultural research and development, President Kibaki stated that it was only by doing so that the country would attain food security and economic development.

The President affirmed that the country’s development blue print, Vision 2030, embraces science, technology and innovation as vital tools for addressing the critical challenges of food security, environmental degradation and escalating poverty.

Applauding the establishment of the ultra-modern complex of laboratories, the Head of State noted that the facility would assist scientists in the region and the entire continent to undertake cutting edge research that would boost agricultural output and food security. President Kibaki declared, “Africa urgently needs strategies and programs to increase the capacity of small-scale farmers to boost their productivity and enter the dynamic national, regional and international markets.”

He expressed optimism that the facility would significantly aid in developing and applying biosciences expertise in producing farmer friendly technologies that boost both productivity and incomes. President Kibaki said that the laboratories would also act as a focal point for the African scientific community apart from focusing on building African research capacity and training the next generation of scientists. Said the President, “This will go a long way in enhancing the ability of young Africans to undertake research with a view to address the chronic challenges that constrain the agricultural sector in sub-Saharan Africa.”

During the occasion, the Head of State stated that despite its immense potential the agricultural sector in Africa continued to under perform and remained underdeveloped due low investment in the sector. He noted that agriculture remains the foundation of most African economiesand acted as the main source of household and national food security apart from supplying raw materials to industries. “Indeed, the agricultural sector is not only key to economic growth, but also fundamental to equity in development and to poverty and hunger reduction,” the President remarked. “The sector contributes, on average, over 30 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and provides 60 percent of all employment. Up to 80 percent of the total population in Africa lives in the rural areas and is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Moreover, about 70 percent of the continent’s extreme poor and undernourished live in these rural areas,” President Kibaki stated.

The Head of State further commended the International Livestock Research Institute, the Government of Canada, NEPAD, and other partners for their sacrificing enormous resources to make the scientific facilities a reality.

The President pledged his government’s continued support to research bodies in the country to enable them fulfill their mandate in meeting regional and continental demands.

Earlier, President Kibaki unveiled the Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa (BecA) sculpture after a conducted tour of the BecA Hub facilities.

Speaking during the occasion, Livestock Development Minister Dr Mohamed Kuti praised the country’s new constitution for focusing more on research and development.

The Minister called for increased funding in research work and development for solid and successful implementation of the country’s development aspirations outlined in Vision 2030.

Saying that government departments should stop being routinely functional, Dr. Kuti stressed the need for more emphasis on research and development in all sectors.

Others who spoke during the occasion included Public Health and Sanitation Minister Beth Mugo, Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya Dr. David Collins, the Director-General, International Livestock Research Institute Mr. Carlos Sere and the Deputy Director New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) Prof. Aggrey Ambali.

The function was attended by Head of Public Service and Secretary to cabinet Amb. Francis Muthaura, senior government officials and an array of scientists from across the continent.

Full story  (State House Kenya News)

More articles on BecA opening:
ILRI website
Kass Media Group
ZIMFOCUS

 

October 8, 2010

Full proposals on “adapting to climate change in agriculture and the environment in Eastern Africa”

Posted by BioInnovate-Africa under Africa, BioInnovate, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda | Tags: |
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The BioInnovate Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) at its first meeting held on 18-19 August 2010 shortlisted 15 concept notes to be further developed into 7 full proposals comprising innovation consortia of related projects. Successful applicants were invited and facilitated by the Program Management Office to hold meetings within their respective consortia, so as to discuss modalities of developing full proposals for funding consideration in September 2010. Full proposals were developed by successful consortium from the first call for concept notes from the region that are led by public and/or private entities (including small scale enterprises and NGOs) in one of the six BioInnovate participating countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

We are pleased to report that the BioInnovate Program has received all the 7 full proposals on related Innovation Project Consortia from the successful concept notes from the first Call on Adapting to Climate Change in Agriculture and the Environment in Eastern Africa.

Four of the full innovation project consortia proposals are targeting crop productivity and resilience to climate change in small-scale farming systems (thematic area 1), and three are aiming at improving the efficiency of the agro-processing industry to add value to local bio-resources in a sustainable manner (thematic area 2) in Eastern Africa to bring impacts on the ground.

Each of the eligible full proposals will be independently evaluated by 3-4 peer-reviewers. The external peer-review evaluation process of the full proposals is scheduled to take place from 4 – 15 October, 2010. The reviewers of the full proposals are from the fields of biosciences and development, who are internationally recognized in the area of agricultural and environmental biosciences. All independent experts possess a high level of professional experience in the public or private sector in research and/or practice in biosciences innovation systems, with extensive experience in the Eastern Africa.

All the full proposals that meet the selection criteria will be presented to the TAC. The TAC will aim to create a balanced portfolio of projects, taking into account the objectives of the call, the quality of the proposals, and the advice from the evaluators as well as availability of funding. The TAC will make the final decisions on project selection for funding in its 2nd TAC meeting in late October 2010.

Further Updates will be provided here as the process unfolds.

Thank you to all who submitted full proposals to the BioInnovate Program. We will be communicating directly with you, on the outcome of the review process.

 

 

October 7, 2010

The BioInnovate Program Technical Advisory Committee elects its chairperson at the 1st TAC meeting

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The 1st Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), meeting which was held on August 18th -19th, 2010, in the ILRI, Nairobi campus, was kicked off by welcoming remarks from Dr. Seyoum Leta, BioInnovate Program Manager, to all the members present. He also thanked all for taking the time to attend and presented apologies from those members who were unable to attend the meeting.

In its first meeting, The Bio-Innovate unanimously nominated Dr. Theresa Sengooba to serve as TAC chairperson. Dr. Theresa Sengooba is the Regional Coordinator for the East Africa Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS), based in Uganda.  PBS is a Program under the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) based in Washington DC.

Dr Theresa Sengooba, thanked all the participants and noted that she is happy to be nominated as the TAC chairperson, and is committed to serve the Program. She looks forward to a productive and successful Program in the future.

Among the pertinent issues discussed at the 1st TAC meeting was the involvement of the Science and Technology ministries and or commissions in BioInnovate Program implementation.  A discussion paper on how to involve the Science and Technology Councils/Commissions/ Ministries from the six BioInnovate partner countries into BioInnovate Program was presented by the BioInnovate Program Manager. It was highlighted that BioInnovate should work closely with the Science and Technology Councils from the BioInnovate participating countries. In its implementation, BioInnovate will work closely with the African Union New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AU/NEPAD) and Eastern Africa Councils/Commissions for Science and Technology from BioInnovate participating countries in strengthening regional collaboration in science and technology, to enable the continent to adapt the rapid advances and promises of modern biosciences.

BioInnovate is a fully integrated strategic innovation platform, serving the development of an eastern Africa bioresource economy, through the application of bioscience innovation. It is expected that the eastern Africa governments, through their S & T Ministries/ Councils/ Commissions will substantially co-fund such a program.

The following are some of the major activities where BioInnovate will work closely with the respective regional councils of Science and Technology (S & T):

  • Mainstreaming of BioInnovate Program activities into national S & T planning framework;
  • Enhance bioscience innovations by creating an enabling policy environment;
  • Create synergies and coordination among national programs with BioInnovate funded projects;
  • Enhance harmonization in resource mobilization to support biosciences based innovations at national and regional levels, including through bioresource fund and its competitive grant scheme.
  • Ensure that the BioInnovate projects in their respective countries are addressing issues of priority to national science and technology policy; and
  • Work in close connection with NEPAD in donor harmonization, securing and development of strategic planning, including resource mobilization strategy for medium and long term.

TAC recommended that the BioInnovate Management Team should make visits to all the six science and technology councils and create awareness and mutual understanding on BioInnovate Program objectives and themes.


 

August 6, 2010

Concept Notes on ‘Adapting to Climate Change in Agriculture and the Environment in Eastern Africa’

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In response to the Bio-resources Innovations Network for Eastern Africa (BioInnovate) first call for concept notes on ‘Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture and the Environment in Eastern Africa’, we are pleased to report that a total of 44 concept notes were received from applicants from the six BioInnovate participating countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Thirty of the concept notes received focus on bioscience innovations for the improvement of crop productivity and resilience to climate change in small-scale farming systems in Eastern Africa (Theme 1), and 14 of the concept notes are targeting bioscience innovations for agro-waste treatment, bio-energy from renewable bio-resources to mitigate climate change and technologies for securing freshwater resources on a sustainable manner (Theme 2).

In order to identify and decide on projects that have research outputs with promising product development and potential innovations in both thematic areas 1 and 2, eligible concept notes will be reviewed by the Bio-Innovate Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), and the TAC, in its first meeting, scheduled for August 18th -19th, 2010, will select and shortlist eligible concept notes that will further be developed into full proposals comprising of an innovation consortia of related projects.

Successful applicants from the first call for concept notes will be invited to develop full proposals. Proposed project teams will be facilitated so as to meet to prepare full proposals between mid-august – end of September, 2010. Full proposals will be reviewed by independent external reviewers and the final decision on the selection of the full proposals for funding will be made by TAC in its 2nd meeting in October, 2010. The TAC will aim to create a balanced portfolio of projects, taking into account the objectives of the call, the quality of the proposals, advice from the evaluators, and the availability of funding.

Further Updates will be provided here as the process unfolds.

Thank you to all who submitted concept notes to the BioInnovate Program. We will be communicating directly with you after the first TAC meeting on the outcome of the review process.

BioInnovate Program Management Office

 

June 24, 2010

Fostering bioscience innovation: Lessons from BIO-EARN

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A new report from the BIO-EARN Programme provides food for thought on innovations, and guidance when developing BioInnnovate Concept Notes.

This paper distils lessons from a study which has sought to illuminate the process of bioscience innovation in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It concludes with a set of policy recommendations that may enhance bioscience innovations in East Africa.

The authors conclude that there is “no single, one-fits-all solution to successful technological innovation. Indeed, there may be a number of possible pathways to success. What is important in current and future bioscience programs is to identify demand for a specific technology, and to plot the essential links as early as possible in the research, development, dissemination process. The question of demand is crucial in making an assessment as to whether a particular innovation may have commercial prospects and can therefore be distributed in a market context, through commercial channels, or whether it has no immediate market prospects but, because it is considered important for environmental or social reasons (and therefore a “public good” technology) needs to be developed and disseminated in a non-market context, through public authorities, community groups, farmers’ groups, or NGOs.”

 

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