EDCTP accepting Proposals for Capacity Development for Disease Outbreak and Epidemic Response in sub-Saharan Africa

Deadline: 30 July 2020

The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) is seeking proposals for Capacity development for disease outbreak and epidemic response in sub-Saharan Africa, in collaboration with Africa CDC.

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The purpose of this Call for Proposals is to establish an African cohort of epidemiologists by supporting institutions in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe that provide master’s training in epidemiology and biostatistics, as part of the Africa CDC’s framework for public health workforce development. Master’s courses with practical field research experience is the preferable level of training as it is relatively short and likely to deliver the required numbers and high-quality fit-for-purpose calibre of personnel that are urgently needed in epidemic zones of sub-Saharan Africa.

Reliable epidemiological data is often unavailable or severely limited in resource-limited settings in sub-Saharan Africa, and this knowledge gap is further aggravated by a shortage of skilled personnel in epidemiology and biostatistics to efficiently monitor, analyse and interpret these data to inform policy and decision making. Training programmes are needed to develop a cohort of epidemiologists across sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, which can work in collaboration with their national departments of health, national public health agencies, as well as with international organisations such as the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), to collectively conduct routine surveillance, conduct public health research and respond timely to disease outbreaks.

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As a specialised technical agency of the Africa Union, Africa CDC operates through a framework focused on harnessing regional resources (all five African regions); the Regional Integrated Surveillance and Laboratory Network (RISLNET) in order to carry out its mandate and achieve the strategic pillars (public health emergency preparedness and response, surveillance and disease intelligence, information systems, laboratory systems and networks, and public health research and institutes) through the National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs). Effective implementation of these strategic pillars depends on the efficiency of the NPHIs and/or affiliated agencies, such as academic institutions in Member States.

The Africa CDC has also developed a framework for public health workforce development. Building on numerous investments already made by EDCTP and its partners in sub-Saharan Africa for disease outbreak preparedness and response, this partnership between EDCTP and Africa CDC will further enhance the public health workforce capacity in NPHIs and National Ministries of Health to better enable them to respond timely to disease outbreaks.

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Proposals can be submitted by a single institution or consortium of institutions which must provide master’s training in epidemiology for 10 to 15 excellent, early- to mid-career researchers (“EPI Fellows”) based in sub-Saharan Africa and working in a relevant field. The EPI fellows must commit to remain in Africa for a minimum of two years after completing their studies and provide evidence to demonstrate this through a letter of support from their host institution.

Proposals should include institutions with a proven track record in the provision of high-quality master’s training with clear local and regional collaborations with NPHIs (or similar agencies), Ministries of Health and other academic institutions. Proposals must demonstrate the following:

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A high-quality master’s programme in epidemiology and biostatistics relevant to infectious diseases of importance in sub-Saharan Africa.
An open, fair and transparent procedure for selecting EPI Fellows based in different geographical regions of Africa, and with appropriate gender balance, for entry into the master’s programme.
Robust mentorship and supervision mechanisms to support EPI Fellows through to timely successful course completion.
The master’s programme must include a research component, which must be conducted in a country in sub-Saharan Africa, in collaboration with local or regional NPHIs (and/or affiliated agencies) or Ministries of Health.
Proposals should also include support for meetings and conferences for the trainees to participate in an annual networking meeting organised by Africa CDC, as well as the biennial EDCTP Forum. Tuition fees, enrolment fees or other types of university charges are not eligible for reimbursement by EDCTP.

The proposed action should start no later than 1 October 2021 and must be completed before the end of 2024.

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Expected Impact

Projects funded under this call for proposals should:

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Increase the number of skilled infectious disease epidemiologists working in Africa.
Enhance research capacity in epidemiology across Africa.
Encourage trans-national cooperation between epidemiologists in Africa and with Africa CDC.
Strengthen the ability of African countries to prepare for and to manage epidemic disease outbreaks.
Promote the career development and retention of postdoctoral and postgraduate researchers in Africa
Contribute towards the achievement of SDG3 ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’.
Enhance research capacity in poverty-related diseases and in clinical trials across Africa.
Funding Information

The call budget is EUR 5 million.
The requested EDCTP contribution per action should not exceed 50,000 EUR per student, with a maximum total budget of 750,000 EUR.
The funding level is 100% of eligible costs.
Eligibility Criteria

A proposal/application will only be considered eligible if:

its content corresponds, wholly or in part, to the topic/contest description for which it is submitted
it complies with the eligibility conditions for participation set out below, depending on the type of action:
The application must have at least one legal entity established in a Participating State* or a sub-Saharan African country**.
The maximum duration of the grant is 36 months
The maximum duration of the master’s programme is 30 months (including research component).
Notes

* The Participating States (European Partner States) are Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

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** The following sub-Saharan African countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Democratic People’s Republic), Congo (Republic), Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Eswatini, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

For more information, visit https://www.edctp.org/call/capacity-development-for-disease-outbreak-and-epidemic-response-in-sub-saharan-africa-in-collaboration-with-africa-cdc/