Pre-announcement – AREF Research Development Fellowship 2016

March 2016

AREF Research Development Fellowship 2016

AREF has successfully raised funds and donations sufficient to support a second annual call for AREF Research Development Fellowships. The aim of the Programme, as in 2015, is to enhance the research competitiveness of early-career African researchers with potential for leadership.

The Fellowship is designed to enable talented, early-career African researchers to develop their own research ideas and specialist skills, to grow their research relationships through collaboration and mentorship, and to work towards a major funding proposal.

Each AREF Fellowship will support a placement of three-to-nine months in a leading research organisation in Europe or South Africa.

The details will be similar to those of the 2015 competition. However, we are working on some important modifications as result of our surveys of last year’s applicants, our College of Experts (the reviewers) and researchers who considered applying but did not. An innovation for 2016 is that some funding will be available for a “planned follow-through” in the awardee’s home institution after they have returned from their placement.

To hold an AREF Research Development Fellowship, you will need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• be a national of a country in sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa;
• be a post-doctoral scientist with a PhD, with up to 4-years of active research experience on 1 July  2016; or be an active clinician with a relevant Master’s degree and up to 3-years active research experience;
• be working in an active research role at the time of applying, with a guarantee of employment with a university or other legally established research organisation in sub-Saharan Africa for the duration of your fellowship[1]; and
• submit the required documentation, including declarations from your home and host organisations detailing how they will support your development as a researcher, if you receive an award.

Last year’s competition showed that success depended on the following:

• Being specific about how you would use an AREF Fellowship as a stepping stone to a more substantial grant or fellowship – in the context of an ambitious and feasible career-development plan.
• Engaging with your own home institution – so that your development towards independent thinking and new skills would be a win for them too.
• Early and thorough engagement with your intended host and their organisation, so that the plan is ambitious, credible and well-supported.

Watch this space for further advice during March 2016.

A formal announcement about this year’s Fellowship competition will be made on 4 April 2016.

[1] We will welcome applicants who are already employed within a sub-Sahara African research organisation (excluding South Africa), or who would be returning to a position in such an organisation by the time they take up the AREF Fellowship having worked in a research active role abroad.

This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:

http://www.medicalresearchfoundation.org.uk/aref/2016/03/03/pre-announcement-aref-research-development-fellowship-2016/#_ftn1