The African Diaspora Network (ADN) has received $100,000 in funding from the Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges initiative to scale its African Scientific Community Engagement (ASCE) program, a groundbreaking effort to transform Africa’s “brain drain” into sustainable “brain circulation.”
The initiative comes at a critical time for Africa, which currently contributes less than 3% of global scientific research despite rising demand for innovations in health, biotechnology and emerging technologies.
ASCE aims to bridge this gap by connecting African scientists on the continent with their diaspora peers across Europe, the Caribbean, the Americas and beyond, accelerating joint research, co-authorship, technology transfer and knowledge sharing.
“This support from the Gates Foundation allows us to build a world-class platform enabling African and diaspora scientists to co-create solutions in priority areas like vaccine research, drug discovery, and biotechnology,” said Almaz Negash, CEO and Founder of ADN. “We are excited to strengthen Africa’s scientific ecosystem and promote collaboration to scale Africa’s R&D ecosystem.”
Building on momentum from the 10-year anniversary of the African Diaspora Investment Symposium (ADIS25) last May, ASCE has already catalyzed promising partnerships.
A notable collaboration between U.S.-based Bio Usawa and Ghana’s Yemaachi Biotech is advancing precision medicine and pharmacogenomics across Africa, exemplifying the potential of diaspora-driven innovation to deliver tangible impact.
With the new funding, ADN plans to launch a secure, AI-enabled collaboration hub designed to connect senior African scientists with diaspora experts. The platform will support joint research projects, co-supervision of graduate and undergraduate students, collaborative grant applications, and technology transfer initiatives creating a pipeline for high-impact scientific entrepreneurship on the continent.
The next phase of ASCE will be unveiled at ADIS26, scheduled for March 25–26, 2026, in Silicon Valley. The event will convene leading African and diaspora scientists, debut the ASCE Diaspora Scientist Database and launch the Diaspora Engagement Accelerator.
High-level discussions will also shape the 2026–2028 roadmap for ASCE, exploring how diaspora expertise is driving Africa’s innovative economy in sectors including Healthcare & Biosciences, Fintech & Investments, Education & Talent and Ethical AI Innovation & Policy.
Funded by the Gates Foundation through Grand Challenges, this award underscores the growing recognition of Africa’s entrepreneurial potential in science and technology and the pivotal role of diaspora-led collaboration in driving sustainable innovation.
For African entrepreneurs and innovators, ASCE represents a unique opportunity to harness global expertise, accelerate R&D and contribute to the continent’s scientific and economic growth.
