Description
Background
Researchers from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)(1) who are involved in clinical research projects have limited opportunities to acquire experience and develop skills for conducting and implementing clinical trials outside an academic or public sector setting. As a result, there are fewer than the required researchers and clinical staff from LMICs assuming leadership roles in clinical research for poverty-related diseases (PRDs). EDCTP and WHO/TDR are jointly implementing this fellowship scheme to support researchers to obtain these essential skills and ensure synergies between researchers and clinical staff, pharmaceutical companies, product development partnerships (PDPs) and research institutions. This partnership is aimed at increasing the number of individuals trained, resulting in an increased impact on clinical research outputs and development of additional capacity in LMICs.
Scope
The purpose of this Joint Call for Proposals is to provide funding to actions that aim to support researchers and key members of clinical trial research teams from LMICs to acquire specific essential skills in clinical research and development through placements in pharmaceutical companies and PDPs.
The scheme targets early to mid-career clinical researchers or staff (clinicians, pharmacists, medical statisticians, data managers, other health researchers) who are employed by a legal entity in LMICs where they are currently working on activities in the scope of the EDCTP2 programme(2) and the WHO/TDR CDF programme(3).
The Joint Call will include a joint evaluation and selection process in compliance with the provisions set in the Rules for Participation of Horizon 2020 of the European Union and the EDCTP2. However, grant awarding and budget management will remain separate under the management of each of the two organisations. WHO/TDR will fund fellows employed by a research institution (home organisation) in any LMICs for placements in pharmaceutical companies and PDPs (host organisations) either in or outside Europe. EDCTP will fund fellows employed by a sub-Saharan African home organisation for placements in European-based pharmaceutical hosting organisations to train and develop specific clinical research skills of relevance to developing interventions against PRDs.
Fellows can only be funded once under this grant scheme. Grants awarded are not transferrable from one individual to another. Placements are for a minimum period of 6 months up to a maximum period of 24 months, following which there will be a re-integration period of 6 months within their home organisation.
Fellows must be committed to return to their home organisation for a minimum of two years after completion of the fellowship. Fellows should be able to demonstrate how the experience gained during the training programme will be applied upon return to their home organisation.
Expected impact
This Joint Call for Proposals will result in the development of additional human resources that will increase high quality research and development of required interventions against PRDs in LMICs. Fellowships are expected to add significantly to the development of the best and most promising researchers from LMICs and also maximise their contribution to improved function of research institutions in LMICs, including training of peers of the successful fellows. The action will strengthen collaboration between research institutions, clinical researchers and staff in LMICs, pharmaceutical companies and PDPs.
Placements
Host organisations that have agreed to participate in this scheme are listed here. The list will be updated regularly to include new, available placements.
Eligibility
For EDCTP and WHO/TDR:
At the deadline for the submission of proposals, the fellow must
- Be a post-graduate (MSc or PhD) or medical graduate with clinical and/or research experience in infectious diseases
- Have obtained their first degree within 15 years of submission of the application
- Have been a researcher or clinical staff member employed for the last 12 months in an organisation with a registered legal entity in an LMIC (TDR) or in sub-Saharan Africa (EDCTP), conducting clinical research activities in the scope of the EDCTP2 and WHO/TDR programme.
For EDCTP:
- The applicant must be a legal entity established in sub-Saharan Africa and must be the home organisation employing the fellow
- Placements sought shall be for a minimum period of 12 months up to a maximum period of 24 months, following which there will be a re-integration period of six months
For WHO/TDR:
- The fellow must be a national or citizen, and resident in a LMIC
Placements sought shall be for a minimum period of 6 months and a maximum period of 12 months
Notes:
- Countries as defined by the World Bank: low-income economies are defined as those with a GNI per capita, calculated using the World Bank Atlas method, of $1,045 or less in 2013; middle-income economies are those with a GNI per capita of more than $1,045 but less than $12,746 in 2013; high-income economies are those with a GNI per capita of $12,746 or more in 2013.
- In the EDCTP2 programme, “poverty-related diseases (PRDs)” include HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and the following neglected infectious diseases (NIDs): dengue/severe dengue; rabies; human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness); Leishmaniases; cysticercosis/taeniasis; dracunculiasis (guinea-worm disease); echinococcosise; foodborne trematodiases; lymphatic filariasis; onchocerciasis (river blindness); schistosomiasis; soil-transmitted helminthiases; Buruli ulcer; leprosy (Hansen disease); trachoma; yaws; diarrhoeal infections; lower respiratory infections; as well as emerging infectious diseases of particular relevance for Africa, such as Ebola.
- For WHO/TDR, Neglected Infectious Diseases (NIDs) include: dengue/severe denque; rabies; chagas disease; Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness); leishmaniases; cysticercosis/taeniasis; dracunculiasis (guinea-worm disease); echinococcosis; foodborne trematodiases; lymphatic filariasis; onchocerciasis (river blindness); schistosomiasis; soil-transmitted helminthiases; buruli ulcer; leprosy (Hansen disease); trachoma; yaws.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://www.edctp.org/call/edctp-tdr-clinical-research-development-fellowships-2/