EDCTP-TDR Clinical Research and Development Fellowships – 2014

Description

Background
Researchers from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) who are involved in clinical research projects have limited opportunities to acquire experience and develop skills for conducting clinical trials outside of an academic or public sector setting. EDCTP and TDR have decided to jointly implement a fellowship scheme that will support researchers to obtain these skills, while ensuring synergies between researchers and clinical staff, pharmaceutical companies, product development partnerships (PDPs) and research institutions. This partnership will have a leverage effect on the number of individuals trained, resulting in an increased impact on research and development capacity in LMICs.

Scope
The purpose of this Joint Call for Proposals is to support researchers and key members of clinical trial research teams from LMICs to acquire specialist skills in clinical research and development through placements in pharmaceutical companies and PDPs. The scheme targets junior to mid-career researchers or clinical 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 EDCTP or TDR.

The EDCTP-TDR partnership includes a joint evaluation and selection process of applications submitted to this Call. However, grant awarding and budget management are managed separately by each organisation(1). TDR will fund fellows employed by a research institution in any LMIC to be placed in pharmaceutical companies and PDPs either in or outside Europe to train and develop new research skills on infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, Ebola and NIDs(2). EDCTP will fund fellows employed by a sub-Saharan African legal entity to be placed in European-based pharmaceutical companies to train and develop new research skills of relevance to PRDs(3).

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. 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 develop human resources to promote high quality research and development in LMICs. Fellowships are expected to add significantly to the development of the best and most promising researchers from LMICs, in order to enhance and maximise their contribution to research institutions in LMICs, including training of peers. The scheme will strengthen collaboration between institutions, researchers and clinical staff in LMICs, pharmaceutical companies and PDPs.

Placements
Please access the list of host organisations that have agreed to participate in this scheme.

Eligibility

For EDCTP and TDR:

• At the deadline for the submission of proposals, the fellow should 1) hold a post-graduate degree 2) have clinical and/or research experience in infectious diseases and 3) be working for the last 12 months in a legal entity registered in a LMIC
• The fellow must have graduated up to 15 years prior to the submission of the application.

For EDCTP:

• The applicant must be the legal entity registered in a sub-Saharan African country employing the fellow.

For TDR:

• The fellow must be a national or citizen, and resident in a LMIC.

Notes:

1. Disclaimer: Grant awarding by EDCTP will depend on the successful conclusion of a delegation agreement between the European Commission and the EDCTP Association for implementation of the EDCTP2 programme.
2. For 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.
3. In EDCTP2, 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.

Procedure

Selection process

The process includes the following steps:

• Eligible applications will be reviewed by a Selection Committee of independent external experts
• The Selection Committee evaluates eligible applications against the three predefined award criteria (see below) in the presence of EDCTP and TDR as Observers
• The Selection Committee gives evaluation scores to each criterion. Each criterion will be scored between 0 and 5. The overall threshold applying to the sum of the three individual scores will be 10
• A shortlist of candidates is drawn up
• Information about shortlisted candidates is sent by EDCTP and TDR to all host organisations
• Host organisations select up to five shortlisted candidates for interview
• Interviews are held between the home organisation, the candidate and the host organisation in the presence of EDCTP and TDR (as Observers)
• Host organisations rank candidates based on the interview
• The final matching process of candidates and host organisations is conducted by EDCTP and TDR
• When the matching process is complete, home organisations, fellows and host organisations are informed of the final match, following which contractual arrangements begin.

Award criteria

The Selection Committee will evaluate and score proposals against three criteria: ‘excellence’, ‘impact’ and ‘quality and efficiency of the implementation’. The following elements will be considered under the evaluation criteria:

Excellence

• Suitability of the candidate, considering their track record, degree of independence and/or potential, and how the fellowship will further the individual’s career
• Quality of the project plan, where applicable, and fit with the fellow’s expertise, competencies and career development plan.

Impact

• How the fellowship will contribute to the fellow’s career development
• Contribution to strengthening clinical research capacity at the home or host organisation
• Effectiveness of the proposed measures to exploit and disseminate the project results (including management of IPR), to communicate the project, and to manage research data, where relevant
• Sustainability and retention of capacity post-award.

Quality and efficiency of the implementation

• Suitability of the fellow’s home organisation to support the fellowship project
• Intention of the fellow’s home organisation to develop and commit to a career post-fellowship or re-integration plan.

Financial provisions

The grant covers one economy class return ticket (home – host organisation – home); a monthly stipend of approximately € 3,100 ($ 4,000); a one-time allowance of € 1,200 ($ 1,500) for educational support materials; health insurance and support to attend relevant meetings during the course of the fellowship up to a maximum amount of € 2,300 ($3,000). The grant also includes provisional funds for re-integration conditional upon the approval of a progress report and re-integration plan(1).

Grant agreement

The legal entity employing the successful fellow (‘home organisation’) will be requested to sign the grant agreement with either EDCTP or TDR. In addition, the prospective host organisation, fellow and his/her home organisation will be required to develop and deliver a training plan.

Application process

• The application must be submitted online via EDCTPgrants. Supporting documents must be attached electronically to the online application form in PDF format. Please note that only registered users of the EDCTPgrants system can apply for grants
• Please read the Guide for Applicants carefully before submitting an application
• The outcome of the evaluation is expected to be available by 30 June 2015.

Note:

1. Disclaimer: Grant awarding by EDCTP will depend on the successful conclusion of a delegation agreement between the European Commission and the EDCTP Association for implementation of the EDCTP2 programme.

Call documents and more information

• Guide for applicants (PDF)
• Call text (PDF)

More information

For questions related to this funding scheme, please contact:

• TDR: Dr Pascal Launois at launoisp[at]who.int
• EDCTP: Ms Michelle Nderu at nderu[at]edctp.org 

For issues regarding the online submission please contact EDCTP by emailing grantshelpdesk[at]edctp.org o or calling +31 (0) 70 344 08 80.

Projects funded under this call

Abay
Fellow: Dr Solomon Mequanente Abay

Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia)
Host organisation: Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research (NIBR), Switzerland 
Starting date: 1 May 2016
Duration: 18 months
Grant amount: EUR 72,088
Grant agreement: TMA2014-434

Matimba
Fellow: Dr Alice Matimba

University of Zimbabwe University College of Health Sciences (Zimbabwe)
Starting date: 1 May 2016
Duration: 22 months
Grant amount: EUR 106,000
Grant agreement: TMA2014-431

Traore
Fellow: Dr Isidore Traore

Centre Muraz (Burkina Faso)
Host organisation: Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
Starting date: 1 May 2016
Duration: 21 months
Grant amount: EUR 97,875
Grant agreement: TMA2014-433

Also visit our Alumni  Network platform