Help us build an African research agenda for a more just, life-affirming technological future.

Our Wellcome-funded Research Development Programme at the EthicsLab is building a community of scholars from Africa and beyond to explore how the African humanities can shape ethical reflection on new and emerging health technologies.

We bring together researchers, artists, and practitioners to think critically about the ethical, social, and political dimensions of technologies such as AI, and advances in genomics and neuroscience—fields transforming how we understand life, health, and what it means to be human.

Research Opportunities Offered

Our Webinar Series as a Platform

This series serves as a space for sharing ideas and sparking conversations on the ethics of emerging technologies. We invite you to shape the program by:

Academic Retreats

Co-host 2 - 3 day retreats with up to 15 participants from South Africa, other African countries, and internationally.

Academic Residencies

Africa-based scholars can join us for up to three months to work at the intersection of African humanities and technology.

Catalyst Grants

Modest support for research projects lasting 6-12 months.

An Open Invitation

We invite scholars, artists, and practitioners to join a growing community exploring the ethical questions that emerging technologies pose from African perspectives. Our programme supports cross-disciplinary work engaging with AI and with advances in genomics and neuroscience, fields that are reshaping how we understand life, health, and what it means to be human. Through critical inquiry, creative practice, and collaborative dialogue, we welcome proposals that contribute to building an African research agenda for technology ethics.

At the heart of this work are questions about power, justice, and what human flourishing means in a technological age. We see ethics as a world-making practice, concerned with the kinds of worlds technologies bring into being and with imagining alternatives that are more just and life-affirming. Together, we reflect on how emerging technologies shape the worlds we already inhabit and how African perspectives can guide more just and life-affirming ways of living with them.

Ready to Apply?

We invite proposals and expressions of interest for: Webinar speaking opportunities, Academic retreats, Research residencies and Catalyst grants

Applications are open on a rolling basis. Use the form below to tell us about yourself, your interests, and how you’d like to get involved. Contact anye.nyamnjoh@uct.ac.za for any inquiries