What is the Royal Society?
The Royal Society is the independent scientific academy of the UK and the Commonwealth dedicated to promoting excellence in science. It plays an influential role in national and international science policy and supports developments in science engineering and technology in a wide range of ways.

As part of a wider effort to establish a working relationship with science academies, the Society is currently planning to implement a special collaborative funding scheme for research projects, undertaken between UK-based researchers and scientists based in Ghana/Tanzania.

Support from the Society will be focused on research and training of the next generation of skilled investigators who can help to address the most relevant national challenges of the future through research.

Workshop in Ghana
On 15 and 16 January 2007, the Royal Society in collaboration with the Ghana Academy of Science and the British Council, brought together a group of scientists from the UK, Ghana and Tanzania; covering a wide range of scientific subjects and experience to discuss two major issues:

1. National research priorities in Ghana/Tanzania
2. Opportunities and nature of UK – Ghana/Tanzania collaborative research projects.

Results of the discussions put the Royal Society in a better position to establish a bespoke funding scheme for both countries. The discussions also gave participants a chance to gain a better understanding of the context in which research and research training was taking place in each country and the opportunity to meet potential future collaborators.

Opportunities were created to forge long-lasting relationships with sister academies, as well as inform scientists involved about already available funding mechanisms for UK - Ghana/Tanzania research collaborations. It was hoped that, once a new funding scheme has been successfully established, participants would assist in its promotion in the future.

Present at the workshop was Professor Lorna Casselton (Foreign Secretary and Vice-President of the Royal Society) and Emeritus Professor of Fungal Genetics in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Oxford. Participants from Ghana included Dr. Rexford Osei (Director of Science, Ministry of Education, Science and Sports) and Mrs Sophia Awortwi (Director Science, Ghana Education Service).