AREF/EDCTP Preparatory Fellowships 2024 | How to Apply Online

The Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) and the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) are collaboratively inviting applications from emerging African health researchers for Preparatory Fellowships, providing up to 70,000 Euros in funding for professional training. The Fellowship aims to boost the competitiveness of early-career post-doctoral scientists and clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa, aspiring to secure international/regional/national fellowships or grant support, such as the EDCTP Career Development Fellowships.

The AREF/EDCTP Preparatory Fellowship specifically targets outstanding early-career researchers residing in or seeking relocation to sub-Saharan Africa. These individuals should demonstrate independent scientific thinking and have the potential to conduct locally relevant research with measurable impact within the scope of the EDCTP2 program.

About AREF:

The Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) seeks to bridge the crucial gap early in the career path from research experience to research leadership. AREF is an independent charity established by the UK Medical Research Council and led from sub-Saharan Africa, with the support of the UK Medical Research Foundation.

Objectives of the Fellowship:

1. Enable outstanding sub-Saharan African researchers (0 to 3 years post-PhD) to enhance their research skills, project design competencies, and generic/transferable researcher skills.
2. Facilitate individuals in deploying their resourcefulness and research relationships effectively in competing for early/mid-career fellowships, including EDCTP Career Development Fellowships.
3. Enhance career development and retention of postdoctoral and postgraduate medical researchers in sub-Saharan Africa.
4. Provide a solid foundation and increase the quality, efficiency, and impact of fellowship projects funded by organizations like EDCTP.

Funding: Successful applicants will utilize the funding for a 3 to 9 months placement at a center of research excellence in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. This will be followed by a 3-month re-entry re-integration period to the fellow’s home institution, resulting in a total training period of up to 12 months.

Eligibility:

1. The applicant must be an organization with an established legal entity in sub-Saharan Africa.
2. The fellow must be employed or have guaranteed employment by the applicant legal entity (home organization) for a minimum of two years after the grant’s expiration.
3. Fellows must be post-doctoral scientists, awarded their doctorate within 3 years before the submission deadline of the AREF-EDCTP Preparatory Fellowship application.
4. Fellows must be residents of or willing to relocate to a sub-Saharan African country and should not have been funded under this fellowship scheme before.

Application Process:

This call has a two-stage application procedure:

• In the first stage, a letter of intent must be submitted by the fellow, along with a letter of support from the applicant legal entity, by February 1, 2024.
• The second stage involves submitting a comprehensive training and development plan by July 4, 2024, evaluated by a panel of independent experts.

The host organization (applicant) must provide a support letter confirming its willingness to enable the fellow to direct and manage the proposed action independently for the duration of the fellowship.