IDDS VISTA 2026 Participant Application Form
Theme: This summit will focus on innovations to support local agriculture as well as the removal and transformation of aquatic weeds in the Volta Region.
Summit Dates: 6-29 January 2026
Location: The summit will take place in Ghana, in Akosombo and Kumasi and the villages of Kpong, Aflive and Kua
Are you interested in being a participant for IDDS VISTA in Ghana in January 2026?
This summit will be the first IDDS in Ghana since 2011 and will be run by the members of the Volta Invasive Species Transformation Alliance (VISTA). MIT D-Lab and the Technology Consultancy Centre (TCC) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) are taking the lead and are supported by the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Akosombo Industrial Company Limited (AICL).
The summit will be held in Akosombo, Kumasi and the villages of Kpong, Aflive and Kua and will run from 6 to 29 January. Participants will be expected to arrive in Akosombo on 6 January and stay until 29 January.
The objectives of IDDS VISTA are:
- To develop technologies that address the issues of invasive aquatic weeds, enhancing the lives and livelihoods of community members in the Lake Volta region
- To develop technologies that benefit small-scale farmers through crop processing, labour-savings and/or new opportunities for income generation.
- To enhance collaboration between universities, businesses, government agencies and communities in developing and implementing innovations to address local challenges
- Build greater awareness of invasive aquatic species challenges around the world and promote broader sharing and collaboration among stakeholders.
The summit will be conducted in English, and we will have basic lessons in Twi, Krobo, and Ewe to prepare visitors to the region for the community visits.
Participants are expected to contribute towards the costs of attending the summit however thanks to the support of the 11th Hour Project, we can provide free ground transport from Kumasi and Accra to the summit venue and also have some scholarships available to support international travel for those in financial need. Your financial situation will not affect the selection process.
The deadline for submitting this application is 24 November 2025.
Please note that you cannot submit the form until all questions are completed, so you may want to save your work in a separate document, so you do not lose your answers if there is a problem with the webpage. If you have questions email idds-ghana-2026@mit.edu
Thanks, and best wishes!
IDDS VISTA Organizing Team