Career Development Fellowships in poverty-related diseases and child and adolescent health

Background
For many young scientists in developing countries the transition from doctoral qualification to becoming an established, independent researcher is very difficult due to a lack of sustainable research funding and limited 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 for fighting PRDs, including areas that lack enough trained researchers, such as maternal, child and adolescent health (MCAH). In the next 10 years, it is essential for researchers in sub-Saharan Africa to establish

centres of excellence in research for MCAH. These require trained personnel in this health area and well-equipped centres.

Type of action Training & Mobility Action (TMA)

Open date 10 April 2020, 00:00

Close date 05 August 2020, 17:00

Budget €3.75 million

Funding level 100% of eligible costs

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

The objectives are:
1. to promote retention of postdoctoral researchers and postgraduate medical researchers in the clinical or field research areas of sub-Saharan Africa;
2. to equip the fellows to establish themselves as independent researchers with the ability to establish their own research teams at host institutions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Proposals should 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.

Due to the extraordinary global crisis of COVID-19 that is also affecting African countries, this topic should also be considered by applicants.

The Fondation Botnar will co-fund this call with a contribution of € 1,500,000 for proposals conducting research in the area of child and adolescent health and wellbeing. Fondation Botnar’s contribution to this call aims to address the shortage of suitably trained early- to mid-career paediatric researchers in sub-Saharan Africa. In the frame of this call, Fondation Botnar encourages research proposals aimed at improving the wellbeing of adolescents suffering from PRDs (e.g. mental health, malnutrition) through the development, validation and/or implementation of new solutions. In keeping with its strategy and approach, Fondation Botnar wishes to support applications aiming to exploit scalable and sustainable Artificial Intelligence and digital technologies in urban environments.

Novartis International AG[2] 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, including e.g. sickle cell disease). 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.

Proposals should include an independent research activity to be conducted by the fellow and a clear description of the skills that will be acquired by carrying out the research. Fellows with training activities involving clinical trials and related studies must ensure that studies are appropriately designed and ICH-GCP-compliant. Individuals targeted by this Call for Proposals should have a track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals in their chosen area of research; a mentor at their host organisation who is an internationally recognised scientific leader working in sub-Saharan Africa; and a career development plan as part of the research proposal.  Applicants must also show how their proposals will address geographical and gender imbalances in areas of sub-Saharan Africa that are highly burdened with MCAH problems but are still weak in attracting research grants.

Proposals for an EDCTP Career Development Fellowship must be submitted by the prospective fellow in conjunction with and on behalf of their proposed host organisation (hereinafter ‘the applicant legal entity’). The grants are awarded to the host organisation with the explicit commitment that this organisation offers appropriate conditions for the career development fellow to direct and manage its funding for the duration of the fellowship. Fellows can only be funded once under this grant scheme. The maximum duration of the proposed action is 36 months, with a foreseen start of the action no later than 1 October 2021. Proposals from women are encouraged.

Expected impact
Projects funded under this Call for Proposals should:

• contribute towards the achievement of SDG3 ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’
• promote career progression of researchers in Africa
• encourage entry and reintegration of African scientists trained abroad and
• enable the retention of postdoctoral and postgraduate researchers in their respective research fields and that the researchers develop into independent researchers and team leaders at host institutions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ultimately these grants will contribute to the generation of a critical mass of clinical or field/social science/ethics researchers and institutional research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.

Eligibility
A proposal/application will only be considered eligible if:
1. its content corresponds, wholly or in part, to the topic/contest description for which it is submitted;
2. it complies with the eligibility conditions for participation set out below, depending on the type of action:

• The applicant must be a legal entity established in sub-Saharan Africa (the applicant legal entity)**.
• The fellow must be employed or have guaranteed employment by the applicant legal entity (the host organisation) where they intend to remain working for a minimum of two years after the expiration of the grant.
• The applying fellow must:
  – be a resident of or be willing to relocate to a sub-Saharan African country;
  – be either a graduate in a subject relevant to the EDCTP2 programme, with a PhD and up to five years’ relevant postdoctoral research experience, or a medical doctor with up to five years’ research experience;
  – have at least one publication in an international peer-reviewed journal;
  – not have been funded under this fellowship scheme before***.
• The requested EDCTP2 contribution per action shall not exceed EUR 150,000.
• The maximum fellowship duration shall be 36 months.

To apply visit http://www.edctp.org/call/career-development-fellowships-in-poverty-related-diseases-and-child-and-adolescent-health/