ResilientAfrica Network

The ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) is a university-led research and innovation platform headquartered at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. It was founded on 8 November 2012 as part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN), a program that partnered USAID with universities to apply science and technology to global development challenges. RAN's mission is to research, innovate, and scale solutions that strengthen the resilience of African communities — their ability to anticipate, adapt to, and recover from shocks and stresses ranging from climate change and public health crises to economic and governance challenges. RAN operates as a network rather than a conventional company. It convenes multidisciplinary faculty and students from higher education institutions across Africa, using research and innovation as catalysts for development. Its work is organized around four Resilience Innovation Labs (RILabs), which serve as focal points for research, innovation commercialization, and convening. The network's thematic priorities span agriculture and food security, climate resilience, education, economic development, gender, governance, health, urban development, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Since its founding, RAN has produced a body of research and innovation outputs, including the State of Resilience Report series, innovation grant programs such as the RAN Innovation Acceleration Program (RIAP) and the Youth Spark Innovation Grant (YSiG), and projects such as a digital identification system for Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. It describes its approach as human-centered design, co-creation, local ownership, and collaboration, with an emphasis on evidence-informed policy and practice. RAN is not a publicly listed company and does not sell consumer products; it functions as an NGO-style innovation and research network. Its funding and institutional origins lie in USAID's HESN initiative, and it is led by Makerere University. The network's public-facing brand, RAN, is associated with the ranlab.org website and a portfolio of resilience-focused projects across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) was established on 8 November 2012 at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, as part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN). HESN was a USAID initiative that partnered with universities to harness science, technology, and innovation for development. RAN was conceived as a network of African universities working together to research, innovate, and scale solutions that strengthen community resilience. In 2013, RAN was officially launched. The following year, 2014, marked a period of intense activity: RAN released the inaugural "RAN State of Resilience Report for Sub-Saharan Africa"; hosted its first crowdsourcing exhibition for innovation through the RAN Innovation Acceleration Program (RIAP) on 14 March; launched its first Design Thinking-based ideation (RICs) and a Call for Proposals for the Eastern Africa Resilience Innovation Lab; introduced the Modular Knowledge Information and Teaching Systems (MKITs) strategy for capacity building; and conducted the first Deliberative Poll (DP) in Sub-Saharan Africa, translating findings into policy. On 19 September 2014, RAN launched its first innovation grant call, RIC4ACE, officially opening the RAN Innovation Labs. In 2015, RAN expanded its reach and knowledge sharing. It conducted the first Collaborative Resilience Innovation Design (CRID) workshop in Ethiopia; launched the groundbreaking first "State of African Resilience" Report on 11 March; fostered collaboration with the first Innovation Garage in Kampala on 26 June; and launched the Youth Spark Innovation Grant (YSiG) on 17 November to harness student and youth innovation. In 2016, RAN hosted a Resilience Community of Practice (CoP) convening on 'Deepening our Collective Knowledge of Resilience' and continued its work on national challenges and climate action. RAN's work has since grown into a continent-wide platform. It is clustered around four Resilience Innovation Labs (RILabs), which serve as focal points for research and innovation commercialization and as spaces for convening. Its portfolio includes projects such as a digital identification system for Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, and the State of Ghana Resilience Report. The network's thematic focus spans agriculture and food security, climate resilience, education, economic development, gender, governance, health, urban development, and water, sanitation and hygiene. RAN describes its approach as human-centered design, co-creation, local ownership, and collaboration, with the ultimate goal of strengthening resilience and driving policy-relevant, informed action.

• ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) established at Makerere University as part of USAID's Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN).

• Official launch of RAN.

• Released the inaugural "RAN State of Resilience Report for Sub-Saharan Africa".

• Hosted the first crowdsourcing exhibition for innovation via the RAN Innovation Acceleration Program (RIAP).

• Launched first Design Thinking-based ideation (RICs) and Call for Proposals for Eastern Africa Resilience Innovation Lab.

• Introduced the Modular Knowledge Information and Teaching Systems (MKITs) Strategy for capacity building.

• Conducted the first Deliberative Poll (DP) in Sub-Saharan Africa, translating findings into policy.

• Launched the first Innovation grant call RIC4ACE, officially opening RAN Innovation Labs.

• Conducted the first Collaborative Resilience Innovation Design (CRID) workshop in Ethiopia.

• Launched the groundbreaking first "State of African Resilience" Report.

• Fostered collaboration with the first Innovation Garage in Kampala.

• Launched the Youth Spark Innovation Grant (YSiG) to harness student and youth innovation.

• Hosted a Resilience Community of Practice (CoP) convening on 'Deepening our Collective Knowledge of Resilience'.

A university-led, USAID-originated network that co-creates locally driven research and innovation to strengthen African community resilience.

• State of Resilience Report series

  Flagship research publications assessing resilience across African regions and countries.

• RAN Innovation Acceleration Program (RIAP)

  Program supporting innovation through crowdsourcing and acceleration.

• Youth Spark Innovation Grant (YSiG)

  Grant program to harness student and youth innovation.

• Resilience Innovation Labs (RILabs)

  Four labs serving as focal points for research, innovation commercialization, and convening.

• Digital identification system for Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania

  Project developing digital identification solutions.

1. 1ResilientAfrica Network – Solutions Through Innovationranlab.org
2. 2About Us – ResilientAfrica Networkranlab.org
3. 3Our Story – ResilientAfrica Networkranlab.org
4. 4ResilientAfrica Networkwikidata.org