1. Energising Scientific Endeavour through Science Gateways and e-Infrastructures in Africa
Simon J E Taylor, Project Coordinator
Modelling & Simulation Group, Brunel University London, UK

2. Welcome old friends and new!

3. e-Infrastructures are Powerful ICT for Science
High speed research communication networks
Computational resources (grids, clouds, etc.)
Software services
Data services (data sources, scientific literature)
Sensors
Securely accessed via web-based portals or science gateways

4. e-Infrastructures are Complex
VRC #1
VRC #2
VRC #n …
Applications
Applications
Applications
Science Gateways
(e.g. Africa Grid Science Gateway)
Other services
(e.g. eduroam)
Authentication and Authorisation Infrastructure
(Certification Authorities and Identity Federations)
Sensors
&
Instruments
Grid / Cloud / HPC resources
(e.g. Africa & Arabia ROC)
Data Infrastructures
(OADRs, DRs, DOIs)
Experimental networks
(e.g. SBN)
Research & Education Networks
(ASREN, UbuntuNet, WACREN, NRENs)

5. But Can be Delivered Simply!
Science Gateways can facilitate simple secure access to e-Infrastructures
Science Gateways can be focal points for scientific collaborations
Science Gateways can support communities of practice

6. Science Gateways and e-Infrastructures can energise CoPs
e-Infrastructures accessed through Science Gateways can help Communities of Practice to
Work intensively and collaboratively to boost research potential and impact
Openly share and disseminate knowledge, experience and state-of-the-art research to speed up scientific progress
Expand its scope across the world
Promote easy access to software, computing, data and sensor services used by participants

7. Used by many Communities of Practice
Meteorology
Geography
History
Biology
Arts
Archaeology
Pharmacology
Chemistry

8. Communities of Practice can therefore access…
Example: AIBST
What: African Institute of Biomedical Science & Technology (AiBST)
Why: A network of researchers hosted by AiBST collaborating on biomedical and pharmacological sciences, clinical trials, and clinical drug studies
Who: Zimbabwe (host), Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa

9. e-Infrastructure Knowledge and Services…
> 4,000 repositories
> 30 million resources

10. …Via National Research and Education networks (NRENs)…
Illustrative NRENs who have benefitted from our collaborations
KENET – Kenya
MAREN – Malawi
NgREN – Nigeria
SA NREN – South Africa
TERNET – Tanzania
RENU - Uganda
ZAMREN – Zambia

11. Sci-GaIA: Energising Scientific Endeavour through Science Gateways and e-Infrastructures in Africa
Concept
To support Communities of Practice with advanced ICT including Science Gateways and e-Infrastructures
Aim
To create a sustainable foundation of educational material and procedures for the development and management of Science Gateways and e-Infrastructures in Africa and beyond to energise scientific endeavour (Open Science)

12. Open Science e-Infrastructures Science Gateways NRENs
Communities of Practice Support
Open Science
e-Infrastructures
Science Gateways
NRENs
Education and Training
Openly accessible educational materials
Scientists, Technologists, NRENs, students (Universities and TTA)
e-Infrastructure Service Development
Data, software, computation, sensors, publications, 3D printers…

13. Key Events Workshops Training events
Open Science collocated with the UbuntuNet-Connect Conference, November 19-20, 2015 in Maputo, Mozambique;
Workshop 2 collocated with WACREN Conference in March;
Workshop 3 collocated with the Technology Transfer Alliance – Date and place TBA. It will focus on the pedagogical aspects of the project, as well as international student-led Science Gateway projects.
Training events
One web-based Winter School that will consist of online webinars and offline training materials for self-pace learning – March 2016;
10 teams of 4 people to develop science gateways for CoPs
Application is open! 
One 2-week long face-to-face Summer School  - location to be decided – July 2016.

14. Join the forum at discourse.sci-gaia.eu
Get involved!
Join the forum at discourse.sci-gaia.eu
Thank you!