DS-I Africa Virtual Symposium Platform

Welcome

In coordination with the launch of the NIH Common Fund’s Harnessing Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa) program, NIH hosted an online-only, Virtual Symposium Platform in Summer 2020 that was free, open to anyone interested, and interactive. 

The goals of the Platform were to:

1. Publicize the NIH funding opportunities and communicate key priorities of the DS-I Africa program.
2. Engage participants in robust scientific sessions that examine the state of data science across Africa.
3. Encourage networking across disciplines, sectors, and geographies.
    

Online Events and Networking Tools

The DS-I Africa Virtual Symposium Platform was a collection of networking tools and online events. The Virtual Symposium Platform was open from July through November 2020 with several online events and networking tools available to participants during that time frame. Recording of past events are archived and available on this website:

• Watch inspiring keynote videos from leaders in health and data science.
• Watch recordings of past online events about the funding opportunities, cross-cutting opportunities and challenges in data science, and specific scientific topics
• Watch the State of Data Science series, a collection of interactive discussions featuring deeper dives into a few relevant scientific topics on a weekly basis

Click on the image below to view the DS-I Africa Virtual Symposium Platform timeline. A schedule of events with links to archived videos is also available on the DS-I Africa Virtual Symposium Platform Schedule page.

The DS-I Africa Virtual Symposium Platform will take place over July to November of 2020. Registration opens in July. Register in advance to participate in the interactive components. Register by August 9 to make the most of this event. All events are free and open to the public.
Networking Tools will provide opportunities to interact with NIH staff and other participants. A Virtual Forum will occur from July through November, providing participants opportunities to meet and interact with other participants, speakers and potential collaborators. NIH Consultations will be held from July through November, providing participants opportunities to request a phone or video consultation to learn more about the DS-I Africa funding opportunities. Online Events will occur from July through October. In July, participants will watch inspiring keynote videos from leaders in health and data science. During the month of August, Funding Opportunities Information sessions will allow participants to learn more about DS-I Africa funding opportunities; and Interactive Panel Discussions will provide opportunities to participate in panel discussions with experts on cross-cutting topics of importance to the initiative. A State of Data Science Series will occur from September through October, providing deeper dives into a few relevant scientific topics on a weekly basis. All events will be recorded for viewing at any time.

Additional Information

Please note that the Virtual Symposium Platform replaced the previously announced Symposium in Kampala, Uganda in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the latest information on the DS-I Africa Program and the Virtual Symposium Platform, please subscribe to our Listserv. Please direct any questions about the Virtual Symposium Platform to DSIAfrica.Symposium@mail.nih.gov.