Astronomers in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda will learn to operate a global network of robotic telescopes to study cosmic explosions and other fleeting events. The problem is that researchers in East Africa rarely get hands-on access to world-class observatories, which holds back the development of local scientific communities and their ability to contribute to major international projects. This programme pairs telescope time with in-person workshops on observation, statistics, and campaign design, led by national coordinators in each country. It targets not just senior researchers but also PhD students and undergraduates, aiming to build whole communities rather than a handful of individuals. If successful, the project could shift East Africa from a passive consumer of global astronomy to an active contributor—potentially leapfrogging traditional barriers by focusing on innovative, risk-taking research. This is primarily fundamental science: understanding the physics of transient events such as supernovae or gamma-ray bursts. There is no immediate practical application, but similar curiosity-driven astronomy has historically driven advances in imaging, data processing, and global networking—technologies that quietly underpin everything from medical diagnostics to satellite communications.
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We will provide a skills development programme for the astronomy communities in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda through observational projects with the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) 1m global telescope network. Acknowledging the specific value of fundamental sciences for long-term sustainable economic development, we address the prevalent barrier of lack of access to world-leading research facilities. Moreover, experience has shown that facility access needs to be paired with active engagement with potential user communities and a gradual development of expertise and experience in order to eventually develop strong research programmes. Our programme involves four national coordinators in each respective country who will act as focal point for their local community. Rather than building a single research project that focuses on a small number of individuals, we aim at supporting and growing whole communities at large, not only covering researchers with a PhD, but also PhD students and undergraduate research projects. Dedicated in-person workshops, covering observational and statistical techniques as well as campaign design and management, will accompany the target community along their research journey with the LCO network and support building inter-African collaborations, as well as path towards independence and African leadership (not being reliant on the strength of a non-African partner) as part of an integrated process. The opportunity for less resourced countries is in innovation, building on the creativity of its people to eventually shape new global trends. This provides potential to leap ahead rather than just trying to catch up. We will therefore particularly support research projects that trial new ideas or approaches, while providing pathways to larger projects and internationally competitive facility proposals. LCO uniquely combines the features of fast response, uninterrupted long-term monitoring, and full-sky coverage, resulting from a purpose-built design for observing astronomical transient events with durations ranging from seconds to several years. We will be getting astronomy research communities in East Africa ready for the unprecedented flood of alerts on transients of up to 10,000,000 per night from the LSST survey, expected from early 2026.
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