Scientists Networked for Outcomes from Water and Sanitation (SNOWS)

The African SNOWS Consortium established in August 2009 by a 5-year grant from the Wellcome Trust aims to build African capacity for interdisciplinary research in water supply, sanitation and environmental health, bringing together universities from across the continent, with research active universities in the North. The primary focus of the consortium is to build capacity in research that leads to improved Public Health.

This consortium links nine universities from 7 countries (6 African Universities from 5 countries and 3 European Universities from 2 countries) under the name Scientists Networked for Outcomes from Water and Sanitation, SNOWS. The project is hosted at the Civil Engineering Department, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana under the directorship of Prof Samuel Nii Odai.

Member institutions are: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana), Egerton University (Kenya), London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (UK), Mbarara University of Science and Technology, (Uganda), Tshwane University of Technology (South Africa), University of Copenhagen (Denmark), University of East Anglia (UK), University of Gezira (Sudan), University of Venda, (South Africa).

The consortium seeks to provide internally excellent Africa-based research that will enable all African children to realize their maximum potential through sustainable water supply, sanitation and hygiene delivery.

Progress activities of SNOWS include:

Training in Research Practice and Methods

• Research management training (RMT) and PhD supervision workshops have been held in all Southern Institutions in collaboration with the Northern partners.

Research Management Training in Uganda

• A multi-centre water point mapping training workshop was held in Sudan in 2012. Following this training, each Southern partner was supported with £5,000 to carry out a mapping exercise on water points in their home countries. By far, the water point mapping study has led to one M.Sc. graduation in Ghana.

Water point mapping study in Ghana		Water point mapping study in Kenya

Conference for Early Career Scientists

• SNOWS consortium provides training for senior academics but also for early career scientists such as Postgraduates and Post-docs. The consortium has instituted a conference which brings early career scientist from Europe and Africa together to share knowledge on their current research and also to network and also have the opportunity to be mentored by senior academics from SNOWS partner institutions.

 Photos from the 2013 Science conference, South Africa

Some award winners in a pose with SNOWS Director		Eileen Chappel of LSHTM delivering a session on research costing