THE ‘EMBODIED ENERGIES’ LOW-TECH ENERGIES (LOTER)
EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS CONGRESS, 2025
THE ‘EMBODIED ENERGIES’ LOW-TECH ENERGIES (LOTER) EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS CONGRESS, 2025
The University through the directorate of Research and Innovation is hosting the ‘Embodied energies’ low-tech energies (LOTER) project, 28 th to 30 th April, 2025.
The project was conceptualized by a multidiscipline team from East Africa and France and funded in July, 2023 by the Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) – Joint Research Programme (JRP). The project seeks to build capacity to early career researchers drawn from a multidisciplinary and diverse geographical background on contemporary research skills in energy dynamics.
The project has prioritized the role of women in energy dynamics and is thus currently sponsoring six masters and PhD female students from Maasai Mara University (Kenya), Cooperative University of Kenya (Kenya), Jomo Kenyatta University of Science & Technology, JKUAT (Kenya), Nelson Mandela Africa Institute of Science and Technology, NMAIST (Tanzania) and Universite Paris Cite (France).
These early career researchers together with the project researchers have amassed a significant amount of data in the realm of low-tech energies in East Africa using various qualitative and quantitative methodologies between April, 2024 to April, 2025. It was therefore found pertinent to hold a debriefing and capacity building research congress for these researchers as well as other early career researchers (20) in the realm of energy from Maasai Mara University, Kenya.
The congress aims at building capacity to early career researchers in;
i) Data handling, analysis and packaging
ii) Scientific Communications
iii) Grants mobilization
iv) Research outputs dissemination
v) Industrial linkages in the context of renewable energy
The Congress also aims to impart the early career researchers with grant mobilization skills to ensure sustainability of the project post CNRS funding.
Prof. Francis Mburu, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Outreach opened the congress and gave an overview of MMARAU’s institutional framework, setting the tone for a day rich in knowledge-sharing. Prof. Benoît Hazard, Regional Director of the CNRS Africa Regional Office in Nairobi and Principal Investigator (PI) of the CNRS-JRP Low Tech Energies (LOTER) project, provided an in-depth look into CNRS initiatives. He emphasized the organizations commitment to promoting multi- and interdisciplinary approaches through collaborative projects such as LOTER.
Dr. Aloys Osano, Director of Research and Innovation and co-PI of the LOTER project, shared the team’s commitment to making biogas production and utilization affordable, accessible, user- friendly, and sustainable for local communities who rely heavily on firewood. Prof. Bridget Mutuma from the University of Nairobi led an engaging segment on grants mobilization and fundable research proposal. She explained the different types of grants available and offered valuable tips to early career researchers on navigating the application process successfully, avoiding common pitfalls along the way. Prof. Justus Simiyu, Acting Director University Industry Linkages and Consultancy highlighted renewable energies in the lens of solar.
#MMara-U, #Earlycareerresearcherscongress, #Researchandinnovation, #(LOTER)project
