Tuesday, September 28, 2010

USA Africa Dialogue Series - MACARTHUR FOUNDATION GRANT FOR EDUCATION IN NIGERIA AND RUSSIA


http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.939187/k.2E3A/International_Grantmaking__Universities_in_Russia_and_Nigeria__Grantmaking_Guidelines.htm
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Higher Education in Russia & Africa
Grantmaking Guidelines

For more information

Further questions about grantmaking related to universities and scholarly infrastructure in Russia can be addressed to Director John Slocum. Questions about Africa higher education grants can be addressed to Program Co-ChairsRaoul Davion or Kole Shettima.

Overview

The MacArthur Foundation provides support for efforts to strengthen higher education in Russia and Nigeria, two of the Foundation's focus countries, as well as Madagascar. The Foundation believes that strong universities and intellectual freedom are indispensable preconditions for healthy democratic societies.

In 2010, the grant budget for this program area is $9.8 million.

What MacArthur Funds

African Universities and Building World-Class Departments

The MacArthur Foundation's higher education initiative in Africa involves Nigeria and Madagascar, where the Foundation works with leading universities to strengthen them and advance their contributions to development in the continent. The initiative partners with four universities in Nigeria — the University of Ibadan, Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University, and the University of Port Harcourt — and the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar, the country's leading higher education institution.

Building upon work with the universities to improve institutional capacities in areas such as information technology, libraries, staff development, and university advancement, the Foundation's current grantmaking focus is developing flagship departments within these institutions. The goal is to strengthen these departments through integrating the universities into relevant disciplinary networks with other universities and institutions in Africa and beyond, thus promoting the exchange of best practices in research, training, teaching, and curriculum. Grantmaking emphasizes disciplines that are strategic to the universities' institutional development and that have direct relevance to development in Nigeria, Madagascar, and the sub-Saharan African region.

For more information about funding criteria, download the request for proposals (PDF).

Russian Universities and Scholarly Infrastructure

The Foundation is committed to sustaining and advancing new generations of scholars and researchers whose efforts will contribute to resolving the social, environmental, economic, human rights, and security problems facing Russia.

Through grants to universities and to helping build other scholarly capacity, the Foundation supports:

  • Centers of excellence in the sciences and social sciences at state universities;
  • Independent graduate schools in the social sciences and other institutions of higher education;
  • Independent public policy institutes; and
  • Journals and networking.

Through the Program on Basic Research and Higher Education in Russia, the Foundation supports 20 research and education centers in the natural and physical sciences at state universities in Russia, with a particular emphasis on universities outside Moscow and St. Petersburg. Through a complementary program, the Centers for Advanced Study and Education, MacArthur supports nine additional centers of excellence in the social sciences and humanities at regional Russian state universities. MacArthur funds three model non-state institutions of higher education that are emerging as centers of world-quality research and graduate training in the social sciences: the European University at St. Petersburg, the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences, and the Moscow-based New Economic School.

In addition, the Foundation supports a complementary set of research and educational institutions and activities in Russia, including independent public policy institutes, scholarly journals, and academic networks. MacArthur also provides grants to independent public policy institutes, academic journals and networking programs.

A limited amount of funding is available for new grants in the area of Russian Higher Education. The Foundation has a particular interest in projects aimed at strengthening the core social science disciplines of sociology and political science. An organization interested in projects related to this area may submit a letter of inquiry informing the Foundation of the proposed project. The format for these letters can be found in the section Applying for Grants. Based on this information, the Foundation may invite grant proposals from prospective projects and organizations.

UPDATED MARCH 18, 2010


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: toyin adepoju <toyin.adepoju@googlemail.com>
Date: 28 September 2010 21:24
Subject: Re: [NaijaObserver] Re: [Naijaintellects] Re: [WoleSoyinkaSociety] Nigerain Scientist receives 500,000 Dollar McArthur Grant
To: NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com
Cc: naijaintellects@googlegroups.com, usaafricadialogue <USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com>, naijapolitics@yahoogroups.com, nigerianworldforum <NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com>, naijaelections <naijaelections@yahoogroups.com>, Nidoa <nidoa@yahoogroups.com>, Odua <OmoOdua@yahoogroups.com>, Edo-nationality <edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com>, dandalin-siyasa@yahoogroups.com, naija_it_professionals@yahoogroups.com, nigerianbiomedicalandlifescientists@yahoogroups.co.uk


Amen

toyin


On 28 September 2010 21:23, idowu <idowubobo@yahoo.com> wrote:
 

This is a breath of fresh air.
 
Idowu
"Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." --Thomas Jefferson


"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." -- Elie Wiesel



From: toyin adepoju <toyin.adepoju@googlemail.com>
To: usaafricadialogue <USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com>; naijapolitics@yahoogroups.com; nigerianworldforum <NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com>; nai <naijaintellects@googlegroups.com>; naijaobserver@yahoogroups.com; naijaelections <naijaelections@yahoogroups.com>; Nidoa <nidoa@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: Odua <OmoOdua@yahoogroups.com>; Edo-nationality <edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com>; dandalin-siyasa@yahoogroups.com; naija_it_professionals@yahoogroups.com; nigerianbiomedicalandlifescientists@yahoogroups.co.uk
Sent: Tue, September 28, 2010 3:18:38 PM
Subject: [Naijaintellects] Re: [WoleSoyinkaSociety] Nigerain Scientist receives 500,000 Dollar McArthur Grant

MacArthur Foundation
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2010 MacArthur Fellows

John Dabiri

Biophysicist

Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Bioengineering

Division of Engineering and Applied Science

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California

Age: 30

Photo

John Dabiri is a biophysicist whose work draws on a wide range of fields—including theoretical fluid dynamics, evolutionary biology, and biomechanics—to unravel the secrets of one of the earliest means of animal locomotion. He studies some of the simplest multicellular organisms, jellyfish (medusae), which propel themselves by contracting cells in their bell-shaped outer skin and generating jet forces in the tail end, with tentacles trailing behind. From a theoretical engineering perspective, he has shown that elucidating the mechanisms of locomotion depends on detailed mathematical analysis of the fluid vortex rings that jellyfish form in the surrounding water by contracting their bell; his results significantly increase our knowledge of the impact of size and speed on the formation of optimal vortex rings. Because the relative impact of viscosity on propulsion decreases with greater size, fluid dynamics theory implies that rowing becomes a more efficient means of locomotion as animals grow larger. Dabiri and colleagues confirmed this experimentally by examining propulsion during maturation and in adult specimens of varying size across hundreds of species, and they also found that a hybrid jet-paddling motion brings the advantage of drawing nearby prey into the bell, where the tentacles can capture them. Dabiri has invented a method that allows divers to use tiny reflective particles to visualize, with high speed and fine spatial resolution, the fluid dynamics of propulsion by jellyfish in their native habitats; this technique provides a wealth of new data that can be used to test and refine models of vortex behavior. Dabiri's research has profound implications not only for understanding the evolution and biophysics of locomotion in jellyfish and other aquatic animals, but also for a host of distantly related questions and applications in fluid dynamics, from blood flow in the human heart to the design of wind power generators.

John Dabiri received a B.S.E. (2001) from Princeton University and an M.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2005) from the California Institute of Technology, where he is currently an associate professor of aeronautics and bioengineering. His scientific articles have appeared in such journals asNature, the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, the Journal of Experimental Biology, and PNAS.

Photos

Hi-res photos for download. Photos licensed under aCreative Commons license. Courtesy the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Right-click on the links below to save the file to your computer.

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John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
140 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60603-5285 USAPhone: (312) 726-8000TDD: (312) 920-6285
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On 28 September 2010 21:05, toyin adepoju <toyin.adepoju@googlemail.com> wrote:


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: augustine togonu-bickersteth <augustine308@yahoo.com>
Date: 28 September 2010 20:57
Subject: Re: [WoleSoyinkaSociety] Nigerain Scientist receives 500,000 Dollar McArthur Grant
To: WoleSoyinkaSociety@yahoogroups.com


 

Nigerian scientist receives $500,000 MacArthur grant

By Ayo Okulaja

September 28, 2010 06:04PM

Print print Email email Share Share


John Dabiri, a 30-year-old Nigerian biophysicist and Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Bioengineering Division of Engineering and Applied Science with the California Institute of Technology has being named among 23 new Fellows of MacArthur foundation for 2010, with each receiving a $500,000 "genius" grant.

The funds will be provided as a "no strings attached" support for the next five years. The MacArthur fellowship offers an unusual level of independence without stipulations and reporting requirements and unprecedented freedom on how to use the fund, thereby allowing recipients to "reflect, create, and explore" to underscore the spirit of freedom intrinsic to creative endeavours. Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie, was a 2008 recipient of the MacArthur grant.


His work

Mr Dabiri works on a wide range of fields, including theoretical fluid dynamics, evolutionary biology, and biomechanics to unravel the secrets of one of the earliest means of animal locomotion. His biography, according to the foundation, reveals that "he studies some of the simplest multicellular organisms, jellyfish, which propel themselves by contracting cells in their bell-shaped outer skin and generating jet forces in the tail end, with tentacles trailing behind.

"His research has invented a method that allows divers to use tiny reflective particles to visualize, with high speed and fine spatial resolution (the fluid dynamics of propulsion by jellyfish in their native habitats). The research is believed to have profound implications not only for understanding the evolution and biophysics of locomotion in jellyfish and other aquatic animals, but also for a host of distantly related questions and applications in fluid dynamics, from blood flow in the human heart to the design of wind power generators."

Mr Dabiri received a B.S.E. (2001) from Princeton University and an M.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2005) from the California Institute of Technology, where he is currently an associate professor of aeronautics and bioengineering. His scientific articles have appeared in journals such as Nature, the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, the Journal of Experimental Biology, and PNAS.



From: toyin adepoju <toyin.adepoju@googlemail.com>
To: WoleSoyinkaSociety@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, 28 September, 2010 20:20:53
Subject: Re: [WoleSoyinkaSociety] Fwd: AN AWESOME STORY:MBAMALU, 20, DARES SCIENTISTS TO EVALUATE HIS INVENTED JET

 

Thanks Augustine.


Your thoughtful points are much appreciated.
The idea of a workshop is also very good.

I would like to take the liberty to hope that I will not be seen as all talk and no action if I beg not to have to participate even though its a good idea.My experience with the conference initiative convinces me that I might be  too wrapped up with the backlog of things I must do  to be of much use in group initiatives apart from posting things to the group.I am only too willing to give any help I am able to give,though.

I look forward to being in Nigeria and  investigating some of these claims of wonders myself.

I expect the self described jet inventor has actually produced something,if only a diagram.I also suspect he believes in his own claims.I doubt if the environment he is operating in is one where there is likely to be much profit in making such claims if he does not believe that he is correct.Oyibo is able to generate credibility among people who do not examine his claims carefully because of   his level of academic certfication-a PhD,the further symbolic capital from his being a published academic and one based abroad.

The man who claims the jet engine innovation does not have any of those enablements.

thanks
toyin

On 28 September 2010 19:17, augustine togonu-bickersteth <augustine308@yahoo.com> wrote:
 

  Toyin
 Thanks for this report. More power to your elbow
  Remember I stated we have that problem with Science Jourmalism. I think this report was by the Sun Newspaper. Do they have a science and Tech Editor?. When was the first Newspaper published in Nigeria?. Was it 18 something in Abeokuta? And the first Science Faculty in Nigeria? 1948. I think whats missing from the report is EXPERT OPINION.Sure we do not have Jet Propulsion engineers in Nigeria but in this age of Information technology such people are just a click away. A physicist or Mechanical engineer from one of the Nigerian universties could have been consulted

This young  man had probably just read a book some where which he assumes nobody else has acess to and he is now claiming to be an Inventor.He should perhaps go back to school and take his  maths and physics more seriuosly.
He seems obviuos he has been reading about some personalities in Science who at first were not taking seriously. I take the example of Robert Goddard father of American Rocketry sneered out even by Journalists and the rest is history



 Please I want to suggest here that this Society., I mean Wole Soyinka society should help to organise a workshop on Science and Technology Journalism.We still have not got it right in Nigeria.In my own opinion None of the Papers get it right. Look, our Science editors do not know the difference between ASTRONOMY and ASTROLOGY,Nuclear reactors and Nuclear reactions and now Jet Proportioned instead of Jet Propulsion.
This boy maybe yet another Dr or Professor Gabriel Oyibo. His Science may be correct but he claims might be false
 If he has an invention then he should register it at Patent office. And there is really no big deal about registering  Patents many of such do not get to the market place.
Augustine


From: "abiola.irele@kwasu.edu.ng" <abiola.irele@kwasu.edu.ng>
To: WoleSoyinkaSociety@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, 28 September, 2010 17:41:25
Subject: Re: [WoleSoyinkaSociety] Fwd: AN AWESOME STORY:MBAMALU, 20, DARES SCIENTISTS TO EVALUATE HIS INVENTED JET

 

Toyin,

That's what worries me about this case. What's a well "proportioned" jet
system? If the young man cannot employ the right scientific terms, how
are we sure his claims are well founded?

Irele

> I expect he meant 'jet propulsion'
>
> i wish i could follow this issue.i wish i had the resources to follow it
> up
> and take action if its true.
>
> thanks
> toyin
>
> On 28 September 2010 16:10, <abiola.irele@kwasu.edu.ng> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Mbamalu speaks of inventing what he calls "a jet proportioned system."
>> Does he mean a jet PROPULSION system?
>>
>> Irele
>>
>>
>> > MBAMALU, 20, DARES SCIENTISTS TO EVALUATE HIS INVENTED JETWritten by
>> > Prince<http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/blog/?author=1>Science
>> > & Technology <http://www.nigerianbestforum.com/blog/?cat=98>Aug 30,
>> 2010
>>
>> >
>> > *Mbamalu, 20, dares scientists to evaluate his invented jet
>> > *From ISAAC ANUMIHE, Abuja
>> > ***Monday*, *August 30, 2010*
>> > *•Mbamalu*
>> > **
>> >
>> > The name of Chinedu King Mbamalu may not ring a bell. But the young
>> man
>> > from
>> > Anambra State thinks it is only a matter of time, and the world will
>> know
>> > what he has to offer.
>> >
>> > He is just a school certificate holder. But Mbamalu has a tall
>> ambition
>> to
>> > be a great inventor. He has performed the rare feat of inventing "a
>> jet
>> > propelled engine system which offers a better efficiency at sub-sonic
>> and
>> > hypersonic speed."
>> >
>> > Mbamalu is only 20, but his thinking process is far beyond his age. He
>> > supplies all answers to questions with effortlessly. But his
>> intellectual
>> > prowess did not reflect so much in his academic performance. This, he
>> > said,
>> > was because of his obsession with inventions. According to him, much
>> of
>> > his
>> > time was spent on his project rather than in his books.
>> >
>> > His passion put him at cross-purposes with his relations, especially
>> his
>> > father who feels that he should further his education. But Mbamalu
>> says
>> he
>> > is not perturbed because at the end of the day both those for and
>> against
>> > him will be better for it. He spoke with Daily Sun: "I am from Anambra
>> > State. I am a researcher and inventor. I am the inventor of an engine
>> > system
>> > that I call the VCCFIJ which is short for Varying Combined Circle Fuel
>> > Internal Jet.
>> >
>> > "It is a jet proportioned system. Jet engines are in accordance with
>> > Newton's laws of motion, and emit gasses that generate thrust. As a
>> jet
>> > proportioned system, it offers a better efficiency, at sub-sonic and
>> > hyper-sonic speed that is designed for VCCFIJ. It doesn't have the
>> > inherent
>> > problems of the current jet proportioned systems like overheating and
>> some
>> > other problems that they face.
>> >
>> > "I have been working on the VCCFIJ for two intensive years. I have
>> been
>> > able
>> > to come up with something of international credence. The stage which I
>> am
>> > now, which is the calculation and calibra
>>
>>
>>
>






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