EDCTP-AREF: Preparatory Fellowships, Oct 2017

Many aspiring African researchers lack the mentorship, intellectual challenge and rigour that well-funded established institutions in the North can offer to their early postdoctoral researchers. Africa accounts for 15-20% of the world’s population and a disproportionately large share of disease burden, yet scientific publications by African researchers account for less than 2% of the total academic journal output. The challenge is therefore to enable African researchers to enhance their competitiveness for international funding opportunities early in their careers while retaining them in Africa, working on Africa’s health challenges and priorities.

The purpose of the EDCTP-AREF Preparatory Fellowships is to enhance the competitiveness of up and coming post-doctoral African scientists and clinicians aspiring to win international /regional /national fellowships or grant support, such as the EDCTP Career Development Fellowships, through short-term placements at a host organisation in EU Members States, in countries associated to Horizon 2020 or in Sub-Saharan Africa which will be contracted by the home organisation to host the fellow.

The objectives of this call are to:

1. Enable outstanding African researchers (0 to 3-year post-PhD or MD) to (a) Further advance their research skills, through short-course(s) and hands-on training, especially using biological samples and/or data they or their home organisations have generated; (b) strengthen their competencies in project and proposal design; and (c) enhance essential “generic/transferable researcher skills” that have the outcomes of secure research relationships, and effective use of fellowship/grant opportunities and funding; and (d) contribute to creating a critical mass of researchers optimally equipped with knowledge and skills to address local research needs
2. Enable individuals to deploy their own resourcefulness and research relationships to best effect in competing for early/mid-career Fellowships, such as (but not only) the EDCTP Career Development Fellowships
3. Enhance career development and early retention of postdoctoral researchers and postgraduate medical researchers in research in and for sub-Saharan Africa
4. To provide a firm foundation and increase the quality, efficiency and impact of fellowship projects funded by organisations such as EDCTP.

Application for an EDCTP-AREF Preparatory Fellowship must be submitted by an organisation with an established legal entity in sub-Saharan Africa (‘the applicant legal entity’) on behalf of the prospective fellow employed by that organisation. 

Successful applicants must use the funding for a 3 to 9 months placement at a host organisation legally established in an EU Member State, a country associated to Horizon 2020 or in a Sub-Saharan African country which will be contracted by the home organisation to host the fellow. The fellow will spend a re-entry period of up to 3-months at their home organisation, making a total training period of up to 12 months.

The Action will specifically:

1. Enhance the ability of fellows to design, plan and execute clinical biomedical and/or social science/ethics research proposals, and manage research relationships, within the scope of the EDCTP2 programme; and to generate competitive proposals into effective projects;
2. Promote and enhance competitiveness for the next tier of fellowships and grants, such as (but not limited to) the EDCTP Career Development Fellowships;
3. Lead to high impact research outputs by junior African scientists who have not been supported by major funders previously;
4. Foster new collaborations and mentorship;
5. Equip the next generation of African researchers to sustain excellent and relevant research in sub-Saharan Africa, and engage as African citizens with African leaders, policy-makers and industries to drive forward evidence-based health improvement.

Fellows must:

• be a post-doctoral scientist;
• have been awarded their doctorate within 3 years before submission deadline of the AREF-EDCTP Preparatory Fellowship application;
• have been either a PhD student or MD, and have been active researchers for up to three years following award of their doctorate;
• be resident of or be willing to relocate to a sub-Saharan African country;
• not have been funded under this fellowship scheme before.

The requested EDCTP contribution per action shall not exceed €70, 000.

Placements sought shall be for a period of at least 3 and up to 9 months, following which there will be a re-integration period of up to 3 months. The maximum fellowship duration shall be 12 months.

For the full call text please visit the EDCTP grant call webpage.