Our Research Development Fellowship (RDF) Programme is designed to support African researchers who are working on important challenges for human health in Africa.
Aim: To support researchers in Africa who are emerging leaders and are working on important challenges for human health to develop their skills as a researcher.
About Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF)
The Africa Research Excellence Fund aims to improve the quality and impact of health research in Africa by nurturing talented, emerging researchers to do the best health research in Africa, for Africa. We want to grow the community of African researchers who lead and partner excellent, collaborative health research that benefits patients, populations, policy makers and practitioners throughout the region and globally.
You can be part of our vision and help us achieve it. Please read more about our programmes and how you can get involved:... continue reading
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Research Development Fellowship
Aim and Benefits of Research Development Fellowship
- The RDF Programme supports a placement of between three to nine months for each Fellow at a leading research organisation in Europe or Africa, with time either side of the placement for preparation and follow-up. This aims to promote development of technical skills, collaborations and networks.
- The RDF Programme does NOT provide Fellows with funds for a whole research project; it focuses on developing researcher skills.
- The maximum award for the fellowship placement is £40,000 (GB Pounds).
- Applicants will need to demonstrate a credible, ambitious vision for their research career in an area of human-health challenge for Africa; and a transformational, well-supported development plan that would be significantly enhanced by the RDF Programme.
- Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their plans at an early stage with their employing and potential host organisations.
Requirements for Research Development Fellowship Qualification
To be eligible, applicants must be a national of a country in Sub-Saharan Africa. You need not be resident in Africa at the time of applying, provided that your application is officially supported by an African institution that meets the eligibility criteria for an employing institution and which attests that it intends to employ you locally.
Academic qualifications (non-clinician):
- Essential: PhD qualification within the last six years (at the time of the application deadline) -awarded a PhD or equivalent postgraduate degree from a recognised institution of higher education.
- If you do not currently have a PhD, you must provide evidence that a recognised examining institution expects you to have been examined for the degree of PhD/DPh by September 2021. You will not be able to take up the Fellowship without having been awarded a doctorate by a recognized and reputable academic institution.
Academic qualifications (clinican):
- Clinician with a PhD. Essential: Clinically-qualified applicants with a PhD/DPh/MD should have been awarded the doctorate from a recognised institution of higher education within the last six years.
- Clinican with a Masters degree but not a doctorate. Essential: You must have a Masters degree and at least three and not more than seven years of active research experience. Experience both before and after gaining a Masters qualification counts towards the experience total. You will normally have plans to gain a PhD or equivalent doctorate (although not funded as part of the AREF Fellowship).
- Clinican with a specialist clinical qualification but not a doctorate. Essential: You must have an MD, MBBS or equivalent and a specialist clinical qualification. Examples of specialist clinical qualifications are FRCP, FWACP or equivalent. You must also have at least three and not more than seven years of active research experience. You may have plans to gain a PhD or equivalent doctorate (although not funded as part of the AREF Fellowship).
If it is more than six years since your PhD was awarded but you have had a career break or time off for caring responsibilities, please contact AREF regarding eligibility. Please also contact AREF if your application last year was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you have previously submitted an application to AREF and it was unsuccessful, please contact AREF before starting an application.
Application Deadline
September 23, 2021
How to Apply
Guidance for applicants and the application form can be downloaded here:
Applicants must ensure that their Employing and intended Host Organisations (the sponsors) understand the purposes of the AREF Fellowship, how AREF will pay the organisations and what their obligations are if they accept an award.
Tips for success:
- Applicants need to articulate (i) a specific, important health challenge relevant to Africa, (ii) an original, potentially impactful and researchable question, and (iii) an understanding of the pertinent research methodologies / technologies to answer that question – and which capabilities you intend to develop. Many applications fail to be ambitious, original or feasible – or just lack specific details.
- Applicants must be specific about the research they are aiming to do after the Fellowship: we ask you to define a research question and outline strategy.
- Applicants must describe how planned Fellowship activities will lead towards addressing that research question and career goals.
- Applicants must engage as soon as possible with their home institution so they actively support the application.
- Applicants must engage early with their intended academic host and the host institution: they need time to develop the right kind of support for the Fellowship.
- Applicants should ensure that the costs are clearly specified and are permitted.
For more details, visit AREF website.
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