New EDCTP-TDR Clinical Research and Development Fellowships awarded
A total of 18 product development clinicians from 9 low- and middle-income countries have been awarded clinical research and development fellowships. These fellows are supported by TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, and will be placed with 10 host institutions by early 2016.
The EDCTP-supported fellowships will be announced early next year.
The Clinical Research and Development Fellows are the first jointly selected applicants resulting from the 2014 agreement between TDR and EDCTP to harmonize and streamline two similar fellowship programmes.
Clinical Research & Development Fellowship
The Clinical Research and Development Fellowship scheme gives postgraduate fellows from hospitals, academic and research institutions the opportunity to spend 12 months working in the clinical department of a host pharmaceutical company, product development partnership or research institution. The programme currently has 22 partners, including 13 pharmaceutical companies, 7 Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) and 2 public research institutions.
EDCTP-TDR Partnership
The EDCTP-TDR partnership is designed to increase opportunities and efficiencies for scientists. This includes collecting applications centrally using the same process and forms with selections made from a wider pool of candidates. Applicant backgrounds are also shared with more pharmaceutical companies.
EDCTP funds fellows from sub-Saharan African countries only and will announce the first awards in early 2016 after completing a two-stage application procedure. This approach is meant to allow the fellow to develop a ‘re-integration’ plan to ensure strengthening of the clinical research capacity of the home organisation upon his or her return.
Second call open
The second call for applications for this funding scheme is currently open. The deadline for applications is 28 January 2016.