African universities are poised to take a more prominent role in global climate adaptation efforts, thanks to a newly launched $940,000 research capacity-building initiative led by the Association of African Universities (AAU) and funded by the UK government.
The 24-month project, unveiled this week, aims to strengthen the ability of African higher education institutions to conduct locally relevant and globally impactful climate adaptation research. The program will engage 20 universities across Africa, representing diverse regions and institutional profiles.
Delivered in partnership with the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine’s Centre for Capacity Research (CCR), the initiative is primarily supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), with additional funding from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) under the CLARE (Climate Adaptation and Resilience) programme.
At the heart of the project is the creation of a new diagnostic tool, the Climate-focused Organisational Capacity Assessment Tool (CO-CAT). This flexible, co-developed tool is designed to help universities assess their institutional strengths and gaps in climate research and guide strategic planning for long-term resilience.
“This is not a one-size-fits-all framework,” said Isabella Tetteh Ahinakwa, the project’s communications officer. “It’s a co-created, flexible tool shaped through a virtual living lab process that brings together stakeholders from universities, research teams, and funders.”
The CO-CAT will be developed over the project’s first seven months, followed by ten months of field testing at the 20 selected institutions. Each university will receive a $5,000 seed grant to pilot the tool and provide real-time feedback. The final phase will involve tool refinement and widespread dissemination across the continent.
Universities will be chosen based on six selection criteria: geographic diversity, climate research alignment, commitment to sustainability, existing research partnerships, ICT readiness, and overall performance. The selection ensures representation from all African regions and balances among university types.
Beyond financial support, participating institutions will benefit from training workshops, stakeholder engagement sessions, and virtual collaboration platforms. These resources aim to embed climate research into institutional strategy and culture, while fostering long-term research partnerships across the continent.
By equipping African universities to better assess and address local climate vulnerabilities, this initiative seeks to elevate their influence in global adaptation policy and practice, solidifying their role not just as beneficiaries but as drivers of climate resilience solutions.
Article by RB Correspondent
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