CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: PASRC VIRTUAL COVID-19 CONFERENCE
New Deadline: May 24th, 2021
About PASRC’s COVID-19 Conference
PASRC’s COVID-19 conference, funded by Open Society Foundations, will take place on August 18th-20th 2021 and showcase researchers as well as policymakers who have been leading the way in COVID-19 research and response. Some broad questions that the conference will seek to address are:
1. Can we characterize the extent and impact of COVID-19 on the African continent?
There are currently limits on our grasp of how, and the extent to which COVID-19 impacted the African continent, and PASRC hopes to bring forward findings that will push the frontiers on this understanding.
2. What did we learn from the measures and policies that were enacted? What were the impacts of these policies?
African countries enacted various policies at differing speeds. As we get closer to the tail end of the pandemic, PASRC would like to provide some opportunities for reflection on the effectiveness of these various approaches, and their impact both from a health and non-health perspective.
3. What prophylactic and therapeutic solutions are being pursued, or were pursued, on the African continent, and with how much success?
As the world investigated ways to mitigate the health impacts of COVID-19, countries opted for various strategies that sometimes diverged from the norm. PASRC would like to deepen the world’s understanding of how African countries pursued COVID-19 prevention and treatment.
4. How do we channel these learnings towards building a more resilient African continent?
As we reflect on the African continent’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, PASRC would like to showcase innovations and adaptations that could contribute to a more resilient Africa as we move forward.
Conference papers will be included in a special issue of the Council’s upcoming journal.
Eligibility
This Call for Abstracts is targeted at innovative research on COVID-19 under the thematic areas of a) social sciences, b) biomedical/health sciences, c) agricultural, energy and environmental sciences, and d) applied mathematics, computer science and statistics. The research should focus on Africa or be a comparative analysis involving at least one African country. Applications will be accepted from Council members as well as non-members.
The PASRC team will be looking for frontier research, rigorous methodology, generalizable findings, and comprehensiveness in the abstract submissions.
How to Apply
Applicants will need to submit an abstract (maximum 300 words), in English and as a PDF titled “FIRST NAME_LAST NAME Abstract” (e.g., Jane Doe Abstract). A 2-3 sentences summary (maximum 400 characters) will also be required during submission. The deadline for submission is at 11:59 PM EST on May 24th 2021.
If your research is most relevant to the social sciences field, please submit your abstract here.
If your research is most relevant to the biomedical/health sciences field, please submit your abstract here.
If your research is most relevant to the agricultural, energy and environmental sciences field, please submit your abstract here.
If your research is most relevant to the applied mathematics, computer science and statistics field, please submit your abstract here.
If your research is at the frontier of the Council’s themes but does not fit squarely into a thematic group, please submit your abstract here.
Applicants should hear back from the organizing committee in July 2021 and, in case of unforeseeable changes in timeline, the Council will communicate with applicants accordingly. For questions about this Call for Abstracts, please write to [email protected], and title your email “Inquiry: COVID-19 Conference”.
Organizing Committee
Leonard Wantchekon, Princeton University (Chair)
Raouf Boucekkine, Aix-Marseille School of Economics (Vice-Chair)
Francisca Onaolapo Oladipo, Kampala International University (Vice-Chair)
Muhammed Afolabi, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
John Ataguba, University of Cape Town
Eugene Bempong Nyantakyi, African Development Bank
Nicolas Berman, Aix-Marseille School of Economics
Idir Bitam, Higher School of Food Science and Agri-Food Industry (ESSAIA)
Hugues Fausther Bovendo, Université Laval
Kipré Bertin Guede, Institut Pasteur Côte d’Ivoire
Kouadio Kouame, Institut Pasteur Côte d’Ivoire
Jessica Metcalf, Princeton University
Pierre Nguimkeu, Georgia State University
Chinny Ogunro, Center for the Study of the Economies of Africa
Rita Orji, Dalhousie University
Mahlet G. Tadesse, Georgetown University