The U.S.-Africa Initiative in Electronic Structure

The goal of the U.S.-Africa Initiative in Electronic Structure (USAfrI) was to impact research and education in Africa significantly. The inspiration was the African School for Electronic Structure Methods and Applications (ASESMA), which has built up a community of scientists in Africa who are active in research and need collaborations and interactions with the global community. Computational methods and applications of electronic structure are important fields where forefront work can be done with limited resources - from fundamental physics to applications. The USAfrI program held 3 virtual workshops, and 16 African scientists visited universities and labs in the US (chosen from over 100 US scientists who expressed interest in hosting). The goal of USAfrI now is to become self-sustainable, strengthen successful connections, and grow the network on both sides of the Atlantic. APS has a major role in the future of the USAfrI organization by standing behind potential new activities and efforts. The Division of Computational Physics (DCOMP) has served as the USAfrI base and will continue, but its function should be made evident and formalized in the future.