In 2015, the UK SCIENCE AND INNOVATION NETWORK,  the UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA and the SICKLE CELL SUPPORT SOCIETY OF NIGERIA organized a UK-Nigeria Sickle Cell Disease Research Workshop  in Abuja (19-20th June 2015 )supported by the British High Commission and the University of Abuja.

The main objectives of the workshop were to  identify established centres in Nigeria with expertise in sickle cell disease, explore potential areas of viable research collaboration,  how to incorporate capacity building and true transfer of technology into identified collaborative projects and to identify potential sources of funding both within and outside Nigeria.

Six top UK researchers in sickle cell disease were sponsored to attend the workshop by the British High Commissioner. The following seed grants represent effort by two of them to establish pilot data to apply for bigger grants

1. 1. Welcome Trust Seed Grant from Imperial College to Dr Frederic Piel and Professor Obiageli Nnodu
2. 2. University College London, seed grant to Dr Rosemary Ekong to build capacity for Genetics of Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria in collaboration with Professor Obiageli Nnodu and Dr. Stephan Menzel from Kings College , London.