This call for expressions of interest is to solicit applications to host regional nodes for Future Earth Africa Hub in four AU Regions– namely East Africa, North Africa, Central Africa, and West Africa.

Future Earth selected the National Research Foundation (NRF) to serve as the host of the Future Earth Global Secretariat Hub for Africa beginning in March 2022. The Africa Hub joins eight other global secretariat hubs: Canada, China, France, Japan, South Asia, Sweden, Taipei, and the United States. The NRF strategy is to use a phased implementation process culminating into a fully functional Africa Hub with all its governance structure finalized in early 2024.

The Africa Hub operates as a global initiative with a strong African presence and voice, integrating Africa’s thriving and expanding sustainability science, policy, and funding communities into the global sustainability science arena. The approach articulates a clear framework for Future Earth Africa Global Secretariat Hub, which includes the Future Earth Africa Hub Leadership Centre (AHLC) co-hosted in South Africa by Rhodes University and the University of Pretoria.

The AHLC is expected to coordinate regional participation through the five African regionally distributed Nodes: Southern Africa, East Africa; North Africa; Central Africa; and West Africa. These nodes will be strategically located throughout the continent and supported by other academic partner institutions and/or funders e.g., science granting councils. This is, therefore, a call to solicit expressions of interest from all qualifying African institutions (see Section 4 of this document) to host the Future Earth Africa Hub Regional Nodes.