Programme aim
The Programme aim is to enable talented early-career health- and health-related researchers from countries in Africa 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 Programme will cover
Developing and expressing your unique research niche
Formulating your compelling research question
Understanding funders’ requirements
Writing in plain English
Writing the different sections of a proposal
Key parts of a typical Case for Support / Project Description
Planning your proposal project plan and budget
Principles of managing your collaboration and team
Understanding and practicing peer review
Preparing for a Fellowship interview.
What the Programme will not cover
The programme will not cover the following: how to get 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.
Format of the Programme series
The Programme series will be held as
Monday 30th June to Friday 04th July 2025: daily 3-hour on-line sessions, 08:30 – 11:30 GMT
Monday 1st to Wednesday 3rd September 2025: daily sessions 3-hour on-line sessions, 08:30 – 11:30 GMT
See the table below for the corresponding time in other zones
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 on-line groups and offline subgroups. All sessions will be conducted in English.
Expenses
AREF does not provide funding for participants to access equipment or internet services with which to participate. Nor do we reimburse you or your institution for any other expenses associated with the programme or any form of per diem payment.
Our expectations of participants
Inputs
You MUST commit to all on-line sessions for the full duration of each session. Attendance to all sessions is mandatory. Participants will not receive a certificate of completion otherwise.
Participate in all sessions. These sessions are interactive and will require your active participation. You gain the best when you fully participate in all activities and exercises.
Commit approximately an additional hour each day to prepare for each session through reading and pre-work assignments/reflections.
Dedicate significant time during the six-week period in between programme sessions to write a draft of your own research proposal, which will then be utilised in the final three sessions.
You SHOULD 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
You will also be expected to participate in AREF monitoring and evaluation surveys to track outcomes.
Scope
AREF welcomes applications for this Programme from 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, mental health, public health, data science for health, social and economic sciences; and health policy and systems research.
Eligibility
To be eligible, you need to provide evidence that:
You are a citizen of a country in Africa.
You are in the early stages of your research career.
EITHER
you have been awarded a research doctorate (PhD/DPhil/MD) from a recognised academic institution normally within the previous 6 years, (i.e. awarded on or after 1 January 2019);
OR you have a medical/clinical qualification PLUS a research-relevant Master’s degree, both awarded normally within the previous 6 years (i.e. awarded on or after 1 January 2019).
You are currently employed in Africa by a recognised university and/or specialist research institution.
You have not participated already in equivalent proposal development / grant-writing training with AREF.
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).
Criteria for selection
Through your application, you will need to demonstrate that you are at a stage of your research career where this intensive training will support your future success as a researcher and you are highly likely to apply your learning to winning research funding.
Capacity to benefit
Your application will be assessed in terms of your capacity to benefit from the training, using the following kinds of evidence:
- Your research experience, outputs and other achievements as an emerging researcher up to now.
- How you will use the training to achieve your personal vision for your development as a scientist who can address key health challenges important to Africa.
- How you will “cascade”, i.e. to pass on, the knowledge and skills you have gained from the programme
- Adequate command of English.
Programme participants will be shortlisted from the eligible applicants using these criteria. Only applicants who meet the capacity to benefit criteria will be on the shortlist, from which the final selection will be made.
Diversity and inclusivity
To ensure equity across research organisations, no more than two shortlisted participants will be finally selected from any one employing institution and AREF aims to maintain a gender and language-balanced selection of participants across its programmes.
