Dr Dalia Saad awarded prestigious FLAIR fellowship

School of Chemistry researcher, Dr Dalia Saad, is a recipient of the 2020 FLAIR research fellowship.

Saad, an environmental chemist is among 30 young researchers from African countries including Sudan, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Cameroon, Uganda, South Africa and Ghana who will receive up to £300,000 (about R 580000) each to conduct research over two years.

 The FLAIR research fellowship by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and Royal Society, supported by the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), supports African researchers to develop into science leaders while establishing independent research careers on the continent.

The fellowships are to undertake cutting-edge scientific research that will address global challenges facing developing countries.

These fellowships enable high-quality research that addresses the global development challenges faced by the African continent and provide world-class support, training, mentoring and networking opportunities to benefit early career African researchers.

Saad joins the 2019 intake of FLAIR fellows, who are already making a significant contributions to science on the continent in their fields.  Her reresearch interest is on water pollution and promoting access to clean healthy water. Though South Africa is ranked in the top 20 countries for mismanaged plastic waste, only one study on microplastic waste in freshwater has been conducted. With her research, Saad aims to fill this gap for the River Nile and Vaal River, which are a vital economic and social resource for the citizens of Egypt and South Africa, and determine microplastic pollution to inform future policy and monitoring.

Professor Nelson Torto, Executive Director of the African Academy of Sciences, says, “The AAS welcomes the new cohort of FLAIR grantees to our growing postdoctoral family. Postdoctoral programmes are vital in training and developing early career researchers into research leaders whose scientific leadership will influence policies that will promote the socio-economic development of the continent.”

Dr Judy Omumbo, Programme Manager, Affiliates and Postdoctoral Programmes, says, “The announcement of this second cohort of FLAIR fellows is a significant milestone for the postdoctoral programmes team at the AAS. We anticipate that they will find the opportunities for networking and collaborations with other African scientists unique in supporting them in their pursuit of excellence in science for the benefit of mankind.”

Professor Richard Catlow, Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society congratulated all the fellows.

“Climate change, food sustainability, emerging disease, these are challenges facing us all, but the risks they pose to individuals and ecosystems across Africa are especially pronounced. We are proud to be part of a programme that is investing in the next generation of African scientific leaders, as they research solutions and adaptations to these challenges.”

Catlow added that the success of the programme is growing across the continent. “This programme extends well beyond the grant recipients themselves. Our first cohort of FLAIR fellows are forging partnerships across institutions and disciplines, supporting young African PhD candidates and postdocs, and helping strengthen the research economies in countries such as Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and the wider continent. We know this second cohort of talented FLAIR researchers will match their success.”

The next round of FLAIR applications is currently open and will close on 27 May 2020. More details about eligibility and how to apply here.

Source: Wits