Wangari Maathai ​Impact Award 2019 is available for application. The Maathai Impact Award encourages and recognises work by African innovators that shows impactful application of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Moreover, this award reinforces the legacy of Wangari Maathai in acknowledging the capacity of individuals to be a positive force for change. Above all, it recognises ideas and initiatives that demonstrate that each individual, no matter how small, can make a difference.

The award ceremony will be at the annual Deep Learning Indaba in August 2019. Applications are welcome from individuals, teams and organisations themselves, or nominations by third parties.

Award Benefits

In partnership with Black in AI, the winner will receive a fully-sponsored trip to attend NeurIPS 2019 as well as the Black in AI workshop, co-located with NeurIPS, in December 2019. The winner will also get invitations to speak at the Deep Learning Indaba in Nairobi in August 2019, and receive a cash prize of KES 70,000.

Eligibility

• The award is open to individuals, teams, or organisations.
• The Awards Committee considers impactful work as any work that has had, or has the potential to positively transform African societies. 
• Nominations are welcome anyone, including individuals and organisations themselves.
• Likewise, nominations are welcome from any African country.
• In addition, all supporting letters should be in English (or a translation supplied). 

Applying

• Nomination is made by completing an online nomination form, which includes details of the impactful work and the necessary contact details. For any teams/organisations, you need to list a principal contact.
• Two supporting letters that describes the nature of the impactful work, reasons for it to be impactful. Furthermore, they have to include in what way the nominations of candidate(s)/organisation strengthens African machine learning. Letter writers can be from anyone familiar with the impactful work. Letters should be 600 words at most, and be submitted using the online form. 

Apply