A Rwandan plant scientist has won a $150,000 research grant to study the resilience of Congo Basin forests to climate change. Dr. Olivier Jean Leonce Manzi, a research fellow at the University of Rwanda, was named one of two joint winners of the 2026 Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant. He was selected from 747 applications across Africa alongside Ugandan microbiologist Dr John Paul Makumbi. Both researchers are 33 years old. Organizers awarded the grant to two researchers for the first time because their proposals were judged equally deserving and compelling.
Manzi's three-year project will investigate how close Central African tree species are to their physiological limits under heat and drought stress. While the Amazon has shown vulnerability to extreme weather, the Congo Basin has appeared remarkably stable so far. Manzi wants to determine whether African forests are genuinely more resilient to warming or simply have not yet faced conditions severe enough to expose their breaking point. Understanding these limits matters because forest decline may begin long before trees visibly die, with slower growth and increased mortality potentially occurring as climate stress intensifies.
The research has practical implications for countries like Rwanda investing in forest restoration. Manzi notes that trees planted today may survive decades into the future, so restoration efforts should consider which native species can withstand expected climate conditions decades from now, not just current conditions. Understanding which species have wider safety margins under heat and drought could help countries select trees better suited to future environments.
The project will be led from a Rwandan institution and is expected to train five postgraduate students and technicians. Manzi emphasizes that African scientists and institutions should shape research agendas for the continent rather than simply providing data for external researchers. He aims to generate evidence that improves climate models, conservation planning and restoration decisions across Africa and globally.