Deadline: 9 April 2019
The UK Medical Research Council and the UK Department for International Development has announced a further call for proposals for the prestigious African Research Leader awards.
This MRC/DFID jointly funded scheme aims to strengthen research leadership across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by attracting and retaining exceptionally talented individuals who will lead high-quality programmes of research on key global health issues pertinent to SSA.
The African Research Leader (ARL) should be supported by an enthusiastic local research environment and by a strong linkage with a UK partner.
Key Elements of the Scheme
Strong applications will meet the four key elements of the scheme, namely:
- a talented ‘rising star’ African Research Leader candidate
- a high-quality research programme proposal
- a research-conducive academic African environment/institution
- a firm partnership with a UK partner institution (where the principal investigator is based).
Funding Information
Awards will provide support for up to five years and should not exceed £750,000 in total.
Eligibility Criteria
- The ARL scheme invites applications from African researchers already based in sub-Saharan African countries and from those individuals currently working overseas who wish to return to SSA.
- The focus of the scheme is on ‘rising star’ African Research Leaders. Candidates will be high-calibre, early-to-mid career researchers, who show clear ability to cultivate a dynamic and innovative research group, likely to attract increasing international recognition and external funding by the end of the award.
- Applications from women are particularly encouraged. Candidates wishing to combine their research with domestic responsibilities may seek the award on a part-time basis. The terms and conditions of award make allowances for maternity/paternity leave. Allowance will also be made to those researchers whose career has been affected, either by a late start or by interruption, for personal or family reasons.
- The African candidate will have completed a PhD, will be well-qualified for academic research having spent at least the last three years in active research, be building a track record of independence in their selected field and demonstrating promise as a future research leader.
- There are no UK residence eligibility restrictions for this scheme as the ARL candidate will be based in sub-Saharan Africa.
How to Apply
Full applications should be submitted online via the given website.
For more information, please visit https://mrc.ukri.org/funding/browse/arl-2019/mrc-dfid-african-research-leader-scheme-2019/#Scheme