AREF announces open call for its research fellowship program for 2023/24

GAMBIA— The Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF), has announced the launch of the AREF Research Development Fellowship Program for the year 2023/2024.

The program has empowered exceptional health researchers based in Africa by providing them with the necessary resources to lead research projects tailored to the unique challenges faced on the continent, ultimately contributing to the reduction of disease burdens.

The Research Development Fellowship Programme offers a golden opportunity for selected recipients to cultivate their research ideas, enhance their skills and capabilities, foster collaborations through mentorship and partnerships, and work towards securing substantial research funding.

The 2022/23 edition received over 80 applications and 18 were selected from eight different countries across Africa.

The 2022/23 crop of AFEF fellows will be tackling a range of health issues, including cancer, rabies, antimicrobial resistance, non-communicable diseases, malaria, infectious diseases & HIV.

Early career researchers, including research-active postdoctoral scientists and clinicians with higher qualifications, who are nationals of and employed in Africa are eligible to apply for this program.

Successful fellows will be awarded placements ranging from three to nine months at leading research institutions located in the United Kingdom, Europe, or Africa.

In addition, the fellowship provides support to fellows at their home institutions both before and after the placement.

To support their research endeavors, financial assistance of up to US$51,800 will be made available to the selected fellows.

Over the years, AREF Fellows have achieved remarkable milestones, securing prestigious fellowships and grants from renowned institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Wellcome Trust, African Academy of Sciences (AESA, FLAIR), and the UK Medical Research Council (MRC), among others.

Applicants for the Research Development Fellowship Programme are required to demonstrate a credible and ambitious vision for their research career, specifically in an area of human health challenge relevant to Africa.

Additionally, they must present a well-supported development plan that highlights how the RDF Programme can significantly contribute to their professional growth.

AREF strongly encourages potential applicants to engage in early discussions with their employing and potential host organizations to ensure a seamless application process.

The deadline for submission of all applications is set for September 14, 2023, and prospective applicants are encouraged to thoroughly review the application requirements and guidelines provided by AREF to maximize their chances of success.

AREF empowering the next generation of African health researchers

AREF was founded by Professor Sir Tumani Corrah the first Emeritus Director of the UK Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia, at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Prof. Corrah has endeavored to improve outcomes of inpatient care in challenging environments, research into diseases that impact the developing world disproportionately, and build human capacity in health research in West, Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa.

Professor Corrah is an Honorary Fellow of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and is a member of over twenty scientific board and committee groups worldwide.

Professor Corrah founded the Africa Research Excellence Fund in September 2015, supported by the UK Medical Research Foundation.

Throughout his thirty-year career in health research and leadership, Professor Corrah had been exposed to many grant-award bodies and committees which highlighted the challenges that emerging African health researchers face.

These include a lack of essential opportunities to develop research ideas, compete on an international level to win research funding or access world-class research advisors and mentors.

At the core of AREF is to stem the further loss of young talent and nurture Africa as the next hub for global science and research, with the focus of supporting emerging health researchers in the early stages of their careers – specifically those who have received their PhD within the last six years.

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