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THE SAHARA CODESWITCH AFRICA CHALLENGE

Application Deadline: 15 September 2026

LOCATION: Africa

The Sahara CodeSwitch Africa Challenge invites developers, startups, researchers, product teams, and builders across Africa to help solve one of the biggest unsolved problems in voice AI. Use Sahara’s new code-switching APIs. Build real applications. Benchmark what works. Help surface how well current speech models handle code-switched audio in real-world settings.

ELIGIBILITY:

The Challenge Task:

Create or improve a real-world voice AI application

The transcript received can be used to perform a downstream task. Examples include a voice assistant that completes a booking, a voice-driven triage tool, a spoken-language form-filler, or a voice interface that takes an action on a user’s behalf.

Each submission must:

Use voice to achieve a downstream task (the agentic component), not simply convert speech to text.

Benchmark performance on code-switched audio input across at least three speech models, including an Intron Sahara API and at least two other models of the team’s choice (global, local, open-source, commercial, pretrained, or fine-tuned).

Target a specific vertical or use case (see categories below).

Where possible and permitted, submit code-switched audio samples used for testing with basic metadata (language pair, domain, accent/country, device type, and noise conditions).

Categories: Five tracks designed for real-world impact across Africa – Health, Legal & Public Services, Fintech, Telco & Customer Experience, Agriculture & Education, and Other High-Impact Use Cases

Applications are open to builders across Africa and the diaspora. Apply as a solo builder or as a team. We especially encourage:

Developers & engineers

AI/ML researchers

Startups & product teams

Student teams

Open-source builders

NGOs & civic-tech teams

Companies with voice or customer-facing workflows

Bonus points will be given to solutions addressing a real problem for a meaningful population size.
Submissions can include fresh ideas, production apps, apps close to deployment, etc., clearly designed for real-world use.

Who should enter

Applications are open to builders across Africa and the diaspora. Apply as a solo builder or as a team. We especially encourage:

Team Formation:

You can apply as an individual or as a team.

Teams may include developers, researchers, designers, domain experts, product managers, linguists, clinicians, customer-support operators, field workers, or anyone who understands the problem you are solving.

Recommended team size: 2–5 people.

What to Submit:

Keep it concise. Focus on impact, execution, and responsible use.

Problem & Solution: A short description of the problem and your proposed solution.

Working Prototype: A short video demo of a working prototype or integrated application.

Code & Docs: Code or technical documentation for your implementation.

Benchmark Results: Comparing Sahara against at least three other speech models.

Responsible AI: A note on privacy, consent, safety, and responsible data use.

BENEFIT:

$10,000Total Cash Prize Pool

Cash prizes will be awarded to top-performing solutions across the challenge categories.

Workshop Challenge Prize

$1,200: Winner

$800: Runner-up

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UNIVERSITY OF HALL RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Application Deadline: September 22, 2026

LOCATION: United Kingdom

The Research Assistant will support the delivery of the NEOREHAB study, a YCR-funded feasibility trial evaluating a hybrid exercise rehabilitation programme for patients undergoing neoadjuvant treatment for resectable lung cancer. The post holder will be based at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and work closely with the multidisciplinary lung cancer team and the Hull Health Trials Unit to ensure the successful day-to-day delivery of the study.

ELIGIBILITY:

The University of Hull particularly welcomes applications from people who are underrepresented within our workforce, including people from global majority backgrounds, disabled people, LGBTQI+ people, and women, particularly in senior roles.

The role involves identifying and recruiting eligible participants; coordinating and conducting study visits; delivering and supervising personalized exercise interventions; collecting high-quality clinical and research data; maintaining study databases in accordance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and ALCOA++ principles; and supporting study monitoring and regulatory requirements. The post holder will contribute to participant engagement, promote healthy lifestyle behaviours, and ensure accurate documentation throughout the study. 

The successful candidate will also contribute to data analysis, dissemination of findings through presentations and publications, and collaborative working with investigators, clinical teams, and research partners. This post offers an excellent opportunity for an individual wishing to develop a career in clinical research within exercise oncology and thoracic surgery while working in a multidisciplinary academic and clinical environment.

The post holder will be primarily based at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, where the majority of participant recruitment, study visits, and delivery of the exercise intervention will take place. Regular attendance at the University of Hull/Hull Health Trials Unit will also be required to work closely with the Chief Investigator, supervisors, and the clinical trials team, ensuring effective study oversight, governance, monitoring, and collaboration across both sites. This post, therefore, involves cross-site working between Leeds and Hull throughout the duration of the study

The post holder will have overall responsibility for the day-to-day operational delivery of the NEOREHAB trial, ensuring recruitment targets are achieved and study milestones are met. They will lead participant screening, recruitment, and retention activities; coordinate study visits; and oversee the implementation of the exercise intervention, ensuring that personalized rehabilitation programmes are delivered safely, consistently, and in accordance with the study protocol. The post holder will work closely with the Chief Investigator and multidisciplinary clinical teams to optimize trial performance, maintain high-quality data collection, and contribute to the successful completion of the study.

This is an entry-level post and may be suitable for those planning to train and develop their research skills so that they may take on a more senior research post in the future.

Research staff at this level will assist an individual research leader or team to carry out a particular study or studies.

The research assistant will receive close supervision and direction from more senior colleagues and will receive academic and pastoral support and guidance, which may include specific training, career counseling, and mentoring.

The full job description can be viewed here.

For any informal queries, please contact Cecelia Pomili at Cecelia.Pompili@hyms.ac.uk

Applications close at 00:01am on the closing date listed. They reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications. If you are interested in this role, please submit your application as early as possible.

BENEFIT:

Salary Range: £33,002.00 – £38,784.00

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