Research & Innovation Actions (RIAs)

Actions primarily consisting of clinical research activities and clinical trials in partnership with sub-Saharan Africa aiming at increasing the number of new or improved medical interventions for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other poverty-related infectious diseases, including neglected infectious diseases, in particular in sub-Saharan Africa.

Actions may normally include one or more clinical trials (phase I to IV) conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, in particular phase II and/or III trials. Actions involving the conduct of phase II and III trials of drugs and vaccines shall normally include a regulatory strategy.

Whilst clinical trial(s) represent the main activity, the action may involve additional relevant research studies such as nested sub-studies or epidemiological studies. These actions may also involve supporting activities fostering networking (within Africa and within Europe, as well as between Africa and Europe) or capacity development of researchers, institutions and sites in sub-Saharan Africa to conduct clinical trials and related research, including observational studies.

Coordination & Support Actions (CSAs)

Actions primarily consisting of accompanying measures, such as: i) activities to develop, strengthen and extend clinical research capacities in sub-Saharan Africa, ii) activities to promote networking and collaboration both between European and African researchers and among African researchers, clinical research institutions and sites, as well as iii) activities to foster coordination and cooperation between public and private funders.

Actions may involve activities of standardisation, dissemination, awareness-raising and communication, conduct of preparatory and accompanying studies, networking, coordination or support services, policy dialogues and mutual learning exercises and studies.

Actions may also include complementary activities of strategic planning, networking and coordination between regional and national programmes. Actions may also involve targeted measures to maximise the public health impact of research results stemming from EDCTP-funded activities in sub-Saharan Africa by promoting their translation and supporting their uptake in policy-making, health systems and clinical practice at local, national and/or international level.

In particular, CSAs will support sub-Saharan African countries in developing a robust ethical and regulatory framework for conducting clinical trials, targeting both national ethics committees (NECs) and national regulatory authorities (NRAs).

Furthermore, CSAs will support regional clinical research networks in sub-Saharan Africa (“EDCTP Regional Networks”) in order to build and strengthen regional, national, institutional and individual capacities to conduct clinical trials according to ICH-GCP standards.

Training & Mobility Actions (TMAs)

Actions primarily consisting of activities fostering career development of individual junior and senior fellows from sub-Saharan Africa, supporting training and mentorship of researchers, and promoting mobility of individual researchers and research staff.