Funding from the Ministry of Research to host Kenyan researchers at the ICSC National Centre

The National Research Centre for High-Performance Computing, Big Data and Quantum Computing (ICSC) is one of the beneficiaries of the funding allocated by the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) as part of the initiative dedicated to the international mobility of researchers from Kenya. Thanks to an initial grant of €31,050, the ICSC will be able to organise scientific mobility programmes lasting a total of nine months, offering participants the opportunity to carry out research and training at some of the leading Italian scientific institutions that make up the National Centre.

“The opportunities will be available through dedicated calls for proposals, which are expected to open by the end of August 2026,” reads a joint statement from ICSC and MUR. “The selected researchers will have the opportunity to work closely with leading research groups, contributing to the development of projects with high scientific and social impact in areas strategic for innovation and sustainable development.” The mobility programmes will focus on three areas: the transfer of expertise for the development of biobanking infrastructure in Kenya; research in the field of quantitative medical imaging and advanced radiotherapy supported by artificial intelligence; and the development of artificial intelligence systems capable of operating autonomously across the entire IT infrastructure linking manufacturing, the network and the cloud, to make industrial processes smarter and more automated.

The initiative forms part of a programme promoted and funded with €500,000 by the Minister for Universities and Research, Anna Maria Bernini, to enable Kenyan researchers to carry out research at centres of excellence funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The programme involves a total of 13 Italian research bodies and institutions, with funding for 19 projects and 48 quarterly mobility placements. The initiative forms part of the NRRP’s investments and represents a concrete implementation of the scientific cooperation provided for in the Mattei Plan for Africa and of the bilateral cooperation agreements signed between Italia and Kenya in the fields of higher education, research and innovation.