© IIASA
The Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Member Organization (SSARMO) includes 18 African countries* who are participating in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) in Sub-Saharan Africa – a multi-partner, multi-institutional initiative established in 2015 aimed at strengthening institutional capacities of Science Granting Councils in the region.
The regional membership application was made in response to a statement of the 98th IIASA Council meeting in June 2021, which conceptualized a regional membership model aimed at bringing together multiple countries within a region, who are facing similar challenges, but may not have the means or capacity as individual countries to join IIASA as national members.
* Botswana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
© IIASA
IIASA Connect
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News
15 October 2026
IIASA strengthens science diplomacy ties at UNGA in New York
IIASA Science Diplomacy Director and Head of Communications and External Relations Susie Kitchens represented the Institute at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-level Week and Science Summit in New York in September, contributing to discussions on how science and international cooperation can help address shared global challenges.
16 September 2026
Exploring new opportunities for regional collaboration across sub-Saharan Africa
IIASA recently welcomed a high-level delegation from its Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Member Organization (SSARMO), its first Regional Member Organization, to explore and shape the next phase of collaboration across Sub-Saharan Africa.
14 September 2026
Can a warming climate put women at greater risk?
Unusually warm periods could have a link to an increased risk of intimate partner violence against women, according to a new IIASA-led study covering 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings highlight how rising temperatures may compound existing risks of violence, with effects varying between demographic groups.
Events
Focus
16 October 2026
Uganda-Austria water partnership leaves scientific legacy for water management
IIASA Journalist in Residence Lisa Palmer's latest article in the Science Diplomat highlights an IIASA-led partnership which found about 60% of Uganda’s rivers in good condition while building national capacity to track pollution and manage growing risks.
05 August 2026
When Uganda’s refugee policy meets children’s everyday lives
What does integration mean for a refugee child? Manya Oriel Kagan reflects on the research behind her new book, Schooling Experiences of Refugee Children in Uganda: Rethinking Integration Policies. Drawing on months of research in schools and communities in Kampala, Uganda, she explores how children's everyday experiences reveal both the possibilities and the limits of one of the world's most progressive refugee policies.
Publications
Peisker, J. , Hoffmann, R., Baschieri, A., Udeh, C., & Striessnig, E. (2026). Intimate partner violence in sub-Saharan Africa under climate change and socioeconomic scenarios. Global Environmental Change 101 e103224. 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2026.103224.
Palmer, L. (2026). Building a systems science network for Africa. Nature Africa 10.1038/d44148-026-00234-5. (In Press)
Schlemm, A., Ronoh, E., Agramont, A., Baltodano Martínez, A., Clopin, F., De Trift, L., Mulligan, M., Nakkazi, M.T., Nyongesa, J.M., Nyolei, D., Omollo, B.A., Rogéliz-Prada, C.A., Suresh, K., Wanjala, S.N., Were, P.J.A., & van Griensven, A. (2026). Co-creating conservation opportunities: a participatory framework for nature-based solutions and enterprise development in East Africa. Sustainability Science 10.1007/s11625-026-01874-0.
Joseph, J., Luna Gonzalez, D., Fischer, G., Tramberend, S. , & Kahil, T. (2026). Regional trade and sustainable intensification advance rice self-sufficiency in East Africa. Environmental Research Letters 21 (13) e134006. 10.1088/1748-9326/ae7b5a.
Nakkazi, M.T., Nkwasa, A. , La Fuente, S., Lekarkar, K.L., Suresh, K., Peyton, J. , Beusen, A., & van Griensven, A. (2026). Future nutrient pollution poses a threat to Africa’s freshwater fishes. Environmental Research: Water 10.1088/3033-4942/ae892f. (In Press)