How the DS-I Africa Consortium Is Harnessing the Power of Partnerships for Data Science in Africa

The Harnessing Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa) initiative is a consortium of 38 awards funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund. Nearly all of the awards are led by African investigators with US and other partners, and the consortium is led by a Coordinating Center based at the University of Cape Town. DS-I Africa aims to leverage data science technologies to transform biomedical and behavioural research in Africa and develop solutions to the region’s most pressing public health problems through a robust ecosystem including partners from the academic, government, non-profit, and private sectors. Partnerships, especially across disciplines, sectors, and geographies, are a core aspect of DS-I Africa’s approach to data science and health research. Recognizing that many organizations outside of the consortium are actively contributing to the field, a Partnerships and Outreach Working Group was formed to encourage interaction beyond the current consortium members. The DS-I Africa Coordinating Center and the Partnerships and Outreach Working Group support, encourage, and facilitate partnerships through active outreach and communications, internal and external discussions, and unique mechanisms such as Networking Exchange events. The Networking Exchange brings interested individuals together in a virtual or in-person forum to learn from each other and explore potential collaborations. Through these activities, several key lessons have emerged: 1) Diverse partnerships foster creativity and strengthen projects; 2) Creating networking opportunities is preferable to matchmaking; and 3) Rapid changes in the data science field require constant scoping for opportunities. DS-I Africa is committed to supporting a culture of partnerships, collaboration, and networking across the data science community in Africa.