EDCTP Career Development Fellowships

For many young scientists in developing countries the bridge between doctoral qualification and an established research career is the most difficult to cross due to lack of continued research funding and lack of access to established research networks. As research in the field of poverty related diseases (PRDs) gains momentum, it is paramount to facilitate opportunities for early and mid-career scientists in sub-Saharan Africa to develop their clinical research skills. Providing possibilities for individual training would enable talented scientists to establish themselves as independent researchers and team leaders at host institutions in sub-Saharan Africa for long-term continuity, networking and research ownership in the region.

Scope
The purpose of this Call for Proposals is to support early to mid-career researchers (“fellows”) by providing them an opportunity to train and develop their clinical research skills.

The objectives are:

to promote retention of postdoctoral researchers and postgraduate medical researchers in the research field of sub-Saharan Africa
to equip the fellows to establish themselves as independent researchers with ability to initiate their own research teams at host institutions in sub-Saharan Africa.

The proposed training should specifically enhance the ability of the fellow to design, plan and execute clinical biomedical and/or social science/ethics research projects within the scope of the EDCTP2 programme*. Novartis aims to co-fund this call with at least five additional fellowships (to a maximum value of € 750,000) for proposals conducting research in the area of maternal and child health on the interaction between PRDs* and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The contribution from Novartis aims to address a shortage of suitably trained mid-career researchers in sub-Saharan Africa working on maternal and child health in the context of a growing double burden of infectious diseases, malnutrition, and child and maternal mortality, in addition to emerging challenges of NCDs.