EDCTP prize awarded to THRU-Zim used to support early career researchers and research support staff involved in clinical studies
In 2023, the Health Research Unit Zimbabwe (THRU-Zim) received the EDCTP Outstanding Research Team Prize and has used the cash prize of €50,000 to invest in the capacity development of early career researchers and the professional development of research support staff (administrators, governance and finance officers, research nurses and assistants) in Zimbabwe, who are integral in making research studies a success.
Since January 2024 THRU-Zim together with the University of Zimbabwe has been hosting monthly early career researcher clubs which provide a platform for early career researchers (including MSc, PhD students, and aspiring applicants to higher research degrees) to present their work, gaining critical feedback from their peers and senior researchers from both institutions. The ‘clubs’ are led by early career researchers and have also included invited talks by local and international experts, supporting skills development. To facilitate participation across the country the clubs are hybrid events, usually with 20-30 in-person participants and up to 100 participants online. The funds received from the EDCTP Prize have supported catering for the in-person meeting, encouraging participants to continue discussing the presentations and networking. This has been highly appreciated by early career researchers and has directly led to new collaborations on MSc and PhD student research projects.
One of the key challenges faced by PhD students supported by THRU-Zim is the lack of time and physical space for dedicated academy writing, often exacerbated by working in different locations from their supervisors and key collaborators. For this reason, THRU-Zim organises biweekly writing meetings for PhD students at various stages of their PhD journey. Funding from the EDCTP Prize was used to provide catering and facilitate the meetings. Since their initiation in February 2024, these meetings have strengthened the community of PhD students at THRU Zim – the students support and mentor each other and hold each other accountable for achieving their writing goals.
Most Zimbabwean PhD students embedded within ongoing research projects led by THRU-Zim are registered either at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK, or the Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich in Germany. While their research project is supported by the parent study, their travel budget is often limited. Funds from the EDCTP Prize have supported the travel of several early career researchers.
Additionally, in November 2024, THRU-Zim launched the initiative “Smile and Shine” which will support 5-10 THRU-Zim staff members (including both research and professional support staff) in their professional development; funded through the EDCTP Prize. Staff members were asked to submit a 500-word proposal detailing a course, workshop, certificate, training, or conference they wanted to attend and how this would benefit both their professional development and the organisation. The recipients of the Smile and Shine career development awards will be announced in February 2025.
Funds from the EDCTP Prize will also support the first year of a wellness programme for THRU-Zim staff. To be launched in 2025, each quarter of the wellness programme will be dedicated to a theme, such as physical activity, mental health, and healthy eating. Each wellness theme will be kicked off by an interactive lecture followed by weekly activities. The theme for the first quarter of 2025 will be physical activity.