Elsevier Foundation Contributes $1 Million USD in Improving Health Information, Research in Developing Countries, Diversity in STM, and Nursing Education

AMSTERDAM, February 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

New programs address Sustainability Development Goals 

The Elsevier Foundation has launched a series of new programs to improve health information delivery, research ecosystems in developing countries, and diversity in science, technology and medicine (STM); a total annual contribution of $1 million.

Through 2018, the Elsevier Foundation will build on its experience with a new program aligned with key aspects of the newly ratified Sustainable Development Goals of the UN (SDGs): achieving gender equality, ensuring healthy lives, reducing inequality and bridging the North-South divide in scientific collaboration.

"Our goal is to harness the forces of innovation and academia to open up opportunities among underserved communities and developing countries," said David Ruth, Executive Director of the Elsevier Foundation. We've actively sought out partners who will complement and extend our ability to foster advancements in research ecosystems, global health, and diversity in science."

The Elsevier Foundation has collaborated with global and local partners in the non-profit community for over a decade, supporting over a hundred grants and five million dollars for researchers in developing countries, advancing women in science, and combatting a global shortage in nurses.

The new Elsevier Foundation Programs in 2016-2018 include:

-Innovations in Health Information  

Information technology can significantly advance the delivery of healthcare in developing countries, addressing problems such as the high risk of maternal death across Africa and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. "Innovations in Health Information" will directly support organizations working to improve health outcomes in developing countries - for example AMREF Health Africa - enabling them to scale up their mobile nursing education pilot into a three year program to provide m-learning or mobile nursing education Dubbed "Jibu", a Kiswahili word meaning "answer", the program with AMREF is designed to address barriers that nurses and midwives face in accessing information essential to learning and practice in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

- Diversity and Inclusion in STM 

The future of science requires a robust and diverse workforce, drawn from all corners of society. Encouraging STM careers among young people from communities that have severely limited educational resources and few professional role models is a particular challenge. To address this, the Foundation has established new partnerships to help underserved youth get greater exposure to science and health education. In Amsterdam, the IMC Weekend School has received a grant to support science and health weekend enrichment modules for 10-14 year olds. In London, the Foundation will support the launch of Imperial College London's "White City Maker Challenge" program offering 14-18 year olds from one of London's most disadvantaged urban communities the opportunity to enhance soft skills and engage with cutting-edge science, engineering and design through workshops, after-school clubs, mentoring and project teams. In the US, the Foundation will support the New York Academy of Sciences' (NYAS) highly successful After-School STEM Mentoring Program, a partnership with the Youth and Community Services Department of the City of New York designed to reach the city's most underserved children. Inspiring more than 1,300 Middle School students each year, the After-School Program trains graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to mentor 8-14 year olds. With funding from the Elsevier Foundation, the NYAS will expand their program into geographically isolated neighborhoods of New York City.

- Research Ecosystems & Sustainability      

Research conducted by Elsevier revealed that that only 2% of sustainability science research output is produced by developing countries, despite the fact that these countries are often the hardest-hit by climate change and resource scarcity. For many low-income countries, this so-called 'science poverty' limits their involvement in vital research. The Research Ecosystems program will seek to redress the balance with three key partnerships designed to widen access to academic knowledge, including a new Publishers without Borders module with the African Journal Partnership Program, an expanded Librarians without Borders program, and the TWAS North-South Collaboration for Sustainability.

The new Elsevier Foundation programs have evolved from a decade of philanthropic work to advance the status of women in science and support researchers in developing countries. The new programs will join the Foundation's longstanding Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy partnership and the employee gift-matching program.

For more information on the new programs, visit Elsevier Connect.

About the Elsevier Foundation 

The Elsevier Foundation is a corporate not-for-profit 501(c)(3 ), funded by Elsevier, a global provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The Elsevier Foundation provides grants to knowledge-centered institutions around the world, with a focus on diversity in STM, health information delivery, research in developing countries, nurse leadership and sustainability. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than 100 grants worth over $5 million to non-profit organizations working in these fields. Through gift-matching, the Foundation also supports the efforts of Elsevier employees to play a positive role in their local and global communities. http://www.elsevierfoundation.org

About Elsevier 

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions - among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Elsevier Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey - and publishes over 2,500 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and more than 33,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works. Elsevier is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries. http://www.elsevier.com

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