Granted by Global Affairs Canada, BCDI 2030 Scholarships provide students from 26 eligible Francophonie and Commonwealth countries in Africa, as well as other Small Island Developing States with high-quality, inclusive education and technical and professional training.
Queen's University was selected to host a BCDI 2030 scholarship project.
Thirty-four graduate students over four years will come to Queen’s for placements focused on conducting evidence based, peer-reviewed research on healthcare related problems and technologies.
The scholars will also participate in tailor made programming at Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre on entrepreneurship to facilitate implementation of technologies outside of academia. The overall aim of the program is to empower scholars from multiple countries in Africa to transform implementation of health care technology in their countries.
Project Details
BCDI scholarship participants are expected to apply for and participate in one cluster alongside DDQIC training.
Project Leads:
- Dr. Gabor Fichtinger – Professor and Canada Research Chair, School of Computing
- Dr. Parvin Mousavi – Professor and Canada CIFAR AI Chair, School of Computing
Partner Institutions:
- University of NouakChott Al Asriya, Mauritania
- Assane Seck University of Ziguichor, Sengal
- Cheik Anta Diop University, Senegal
Brief Description:
Medical imaging and its integrative applications in diagnostics, therapeutics, and surgeries are vital in modern medicine but often unavailable in some low-income countries. However, emerging low-cost point-of-care technologies like portable ultrasound are changing this, enabling bedside diagnostics and therapies. With advancements in AI and cloud technology, these tools can bridge geographic and socioeconomic gaps, offering equitable healthcare access.
This program will immerse visiting scholars in cross-disciplinary learning, including medical image computing, computer-assisted medical interventions, research presentation and scientific writing. The scholars will benefit from daily guidance, mentoring, and integration into diverse interdisciplinary groups for a holistic learning experience.
Project Leads:
- Dr. Qingguo Li – Professor and Associate Head, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering
- Dr. Mark Green – Professor and NSERC Scholar in Residence for Indigenous Collaboration, Department of Civil Engineering
Partner Institutions:
- Universite Joseph Ki-Zerbo
Brief Description:
This cluster focuses on ergonomics and injury prevention in traditional West African trades such as weaving and pottery. These trades hold cultural, artistic and economic significance but present ongoing occupational health hazards.
This cluster aims to train visiting scholars in biomechanics research to tackle these challenges, fostering long-term collaboration and sustainable methodologies. The goal is to empower scholars in addressing community health issues upon their return. Additionally, the cluster prioritizes developing research capacity of the visiting scholars, encouraging a culture of collaborating and knowledge exchange to facilitate effective technology development, data collection and analysis, and solution deployment.
Project Leads:
- Dr. Susan Bartels – Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine
- Dr. Lisa Butler – Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences
- Dr. Karen Yeates – Professor, Department of Medicine
Partner Institutions:
- Université Libre des Pays des Grands Lacs - Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo
- Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Kilimanjaro College of Health and Allied Sciences and Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
- University of Witwatersrand, South Africa
Brief Description:
The program aims to empower visiting scholars by providing them with training to develop, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of digital tools for healthcare professionals in low- and middle-income countries, to enhance informed decision making in healthcare. A multi-disciplinary team comprising faculty from Faculty of Health Sciences and Faculty of Art and Science will support the visiting scholars throughout the process.
The Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation Centre (DDQIC) will equip BCDI scholars in all clusters with entrepreneurial skills and a mindset to foster social and financial impact in their communities.
This training will be facilitated through online resources, a bootcamp and ongoing workshops. Scholars will receive micro-credentials, gain access to the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework and receive mentorship from industry leaders. This programming will allow scholars to think critically about their areas of research and how it can be maximized to create an impact.
If you're interested in applying, please contact global@queensu.ca.
Queen’s is proud to be developing the BCDI program with the following partners:
- University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya (Mauritania)
- Cheikh-Anta-Diop University (Senegal)
- École Supérieure Polytechnique (Senegal)
- École militaire de santé (Senegal)
- Université Assane-Seck de Ziguinchor (Senegal)
- Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo (Burkina Faso)
- Université Libre des Pays des Grands Lacs (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- Université de Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (Tanzania)
- Tamale Technical University (Ghana)
- University of Allied Health Sciences (Ghana)
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana)
- University of Ghana (Ghana)
- University of Cape Town (South Africa)
- University of Witwatersrand (South Africa)
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College (Tanzania)
BCDI 2030 is an eight-year, $80-million program funded by Global Affairs Canada and jointly administered by Colleges and Institutes Canada and Universities Canada in partnership with the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and the Association of African Universities (AAU).
