EDCTP Clinical Research and Development Fellowships, 2019

Researchers from sub-Saharan Africa who are involved in clinical research activities have limited opportunities to acquire experience and develop skills outside an academic or public sector setting for conducting clinical trials that adhere to stringent regulatory standards. As a result, there are few researchers and clinical staff from sub-Saharan Africa assuming leading roles in clinical research for poverty-related diseases (PRDs). The development of human research capacities through these fellowships will lead to enhanced and sustainable research competency in Africa on diagnostics, drugs and vaccines for PRDs, and support career progression and retention of researchers in sub-Saharan Africa.

This call will have an incremental effect on the number of individuals trained, resulting in an increased impact on research and development capacity in sub-Saharan Africa. The partnership will ensure synergies between the different parties involved, and will facilitate communication with researchers and clinical staff, pharmaceutical companies, clinical research organisations (CROs) and product development partnerships (PDPs).

The purpose of this Call for Proposals is to provide funding towards actions that aim to support researchers and key members of clinical trial research teams from sub-Saharan Africa to acquire specific skills in clinical research and development through placements in pharmaceutical companies, PDPs and CROs.

The scheme targets junior to mid-career researchers or clinical staff (clinicians, pharmacists, medical statisticians, data managers, other health researchers) who are employed by a legal entity in sub-Saharan Africa where they are currently working on clinical research and clinical trials in the scope of the EDCTP2 programme*.  EDCTP supports research team members who are employed by a legal entity in a sub-Saharan African country. Placements are for a period of 15 months (3 months will be used to prepare for the placement), following which there will be a re-integration period of 6 months.

Host organisations may offer placements in the following areas: design and conduct of clinical trial studies, including operational planning, management and evaluation; clinical development of vaccines including associated epidemiological studies; assessment of drug development programmes; diagnostics; biostatistics/epidemiology; data management and pharmacovigilance. A list of participating pharmaceutical companies, CROs and PDPs (i.e. host organisations) and available placements will be published on the EDCTP website. EDCTP will collaborate with the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).

Find out more and how to apply here.