AREF 2023 Women in Research Essential Grant Writing Skills Programme

The Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) works to strengthen the health research capacity of scientists in Sub-Saharan Africa who are engaged in tackling the sub-region’s significant health challenges. We recognise the need to support a diverse community of scientists across Africa, therefore, this call is specifically open for women biomedical/health researchers.

This fully on-line programme will be held over eight 3-hour sessions during the weeks of 18th September 2023 and 6th November 2023.  There will be a five-week break in between the two sessions, where you will be expected to write a draft proposal.  This is an intensive programme that is designed to produce tangible progress towards a grant proposal by the end of the Programme. Your commitment to the entire Programme and to the additional work outside of sessions will be necessary to achieve these outcomes.

Workshop aim

The Workshop aim is to enable talented women early-career health- and health-related researchers to build skills to develop their own research and fellowship proposals of the quality required to win competitive international, regional, and national funding.

What the Workshop will cover

1. Developing and expressing your unique research niche
2. Formulating your compelling research question
3. Understanding funders’ requirements
4. Writing in plain English
5. Writing the different sections of a proposal
6. Key parts of a typical Case for Support / Project Description
7. Planning your proposal project plan and budget
8. Principles of managing your collaboration and team
9. Understanding and practicing peer review
10. Preparing for a Fellowship interview

What the Workshop will not cover

The workshop will not cover the following: how to research ethics approval; how to complete individual funders’ application forms; the details of intellectual property management; practice in research communication.

The facilitators will use examples of real funding applications. However, they will not be assisting participants directly with the participants’ own specific proposals.

• Table of Content
• About Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF)
• Women in Research Essential Grant Writing Skills Programm
• Aim and Benefits of Women in Research Essential Grant Writing Skills Programm
• Requirements for Women in Research Essential Grant Writing Skills Programm Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for Women in Research Essential Grant Writing Skills Programm
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

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

Women in Research Essential Grant Writing Skills Programm

Aim and Benefits of Women in Research Essential Grant Writing Skills Programm

To fully benefit from this workshop series, you will be at a stage in your research career where you are actively seeking independent funding but have yet to secure that big grant necessary to support your research independence.

Requirements for Women in Research Essential Grant Writing Skills Programm Qualification

To be eligible, you need to provide evidence that:

• You are a citizen of a country in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• EITHER you have been awarded a research doctorate (PhD/DPhil/MD) from a recognised academic institution within the previous 6 years, i.e. awarded on or after 01 January 2017); OR you have a medical/clinical qualification plus a research-relevant Master’s degree awarded within the previous 6 years.
• AND you are currently employed in Sub-Saharan Africa by a recognised university and/or specialist research institution.
• You have not participated already in equivalent proposal development / grant-writing training.
• A significant part of your current employee role is to develop and conduct health research.
• You do not already have a significant portfolio of international research grants (Combined value of $250,000 or more).

Scope: AREF welcomes applications for this Workshop from female researchers who are actively working on challenges to human health and are trained and experienced in one or more of the following disciplines: biomedicine; physiology and pharmacology; clinical sciences; epidemiology; mathematics and statistics; environmental health; “one health” (veterinary science); behavioural, social and economic sciences; and health policy and systems research.

Interview date, Process and Venue for Women in Research Essential Grant Writing Skills Programm

Our Expectations Of Participants

Inputs

You will need to:

• commit to all online sessions for the full duration of each session. These sessions are interactive and will require your active participation.
• commit approximately an additional hour each day to prepare for each session through reading and pre-work assignments/reflections.
• dedicate significant time during the four-week period in between workshop sessions to write a draft of your own research proposal, which will then be utilised in the final three sessions.
• have access to good bandwidth and a computer or laptop that is set up to use the Zoom platform (IT department may control your ability to use online platforms)
• be able to use a smart phone simultaneously with the Zoom platform.

Outputs

Through your application, you will need to demonstrate that you are highly likely to apply your learning to winning research funding and that you are at a stage of your research career where this intensive training will support your future success as a researcher.

You will also be expected to participate in AREF monitoring and evaluation surveys to track outcomes.

Duration of Award:

• This fully on-line programme will be held over eight 3-hour sessions during the weeks of 18th September 2023 and 6th November 2023. 
• There will be a five-week break in between the two sessions, where you will be expected to write a draft proposal.  This is an intensive programme that is designed to produce tangible progress towards a grant proposal by the end of the Programme. Your commitment to the entire Programme and to the additional work outside of sessions will be necessary to achieve these outcomes.

The Programme will hold:

• Monday 18 to Friday 22 September 2023: daily 3hour on-line sessions, 09:30-12:30 GMT
• Wednesday 08 to Friday 10 November 2023: daily sessions 3hour on-line sessions, 09:30-12:30 GMT

Participants will be provided with appropriate learning materials including preparatory exercises before the first session and between sessions.  Each session will be delivered through Zoom.  Participants will work in online groups and subgroups.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Read this Guidance on how to apply and what you need then click on this link to apply online, upload all documents and submit before the deadline of 12 May 2023.

For more details, visit AREF wbesite.