Enhancing networking among African and European scientists to close regional and gender disparities experienced in EDCTP1 and EDCTP2 funded health research capacity activities in sub-Saharan Africa
Start date:19 November 2019, 09:00
End date:20 November 2019, 17:00
Location:Africa CDC, Africa Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Objective: To facilitate collaborations between African and European scientists geared towards closing regional and gender imbalances seen in previously and currently funded EDCTP1 and EDCTP2 projects.
Specific objectives:
1. To brainstorm on practical solutions to address the regional, sub-regional and gender research and research capacity imbalances;
2. Prioritise and discuss potential strategies and plans to address these gaps (categorized into short, medium and long term);
3. Identify potential synergies and complementarities with the efforts and plans of EDCTP strategic partners to address these gaps.
Expected outputs:
– A clearer understanding of the challenges in regional and gender imbalances that exist within health research in sub-Saharan Africa (with a focus on EDCTP funded projects)
– To identify suitable collaborative strategies that will improve both geographical and gender distribution in future funded projects (short, medium, and long term strategies)
– To align or synergise the EDCTP efforts in the intended objective with initiatives being implemented by its like-minded partners.
Eligible participants: Scientists/researchers (from sub-Saharan Africa and Europe) working in the scope of EDCTP intending to apply for future EDCTP2 grants will be eligible to attend the planned workshop including:
– Members of the EDCTP Alumni Network
– Members of the EDCTP Regional Networks of Excellence
– EDCTP grant holders (EDCTP 1 & EDCTP2)
– EDCTP public and private regional and global partners in R&D and health research capacity development
– Any other parties interested in fulfilling the EDCTP objective.
Participants in the workshop will be selected through an open, fair and transparent process. Selection of scientists to attend the workshop will be based on their ability to justify how their participation will meet the objectives mentioned above:
– Involvement in research within the scope of the EDCTP programme 40%
– Novel potential solutions to address gender and geographical gaps 60%.
Applicants from underrepresented countries in sub-Saharan Africa and females are encouraged to apply.
Countries in sub-Saharan Africa with disproportionately low uptake of EDCTP funded projects and/or low gender balance among project coordinators include but are not limited to Angola, Benin, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Central African Republic, DRC, eSwatini (Swaziland), Gabon, Guinea, Lesotho, Liberia Mauritius, Madagascar, Namibia, Niger, Sierra Leonne, Rwanda, and Togo.
http://www.edctp.org/event/call-for-participants-to-attend-workshop/
EDCTP Career Development Fellow Dr Virginie Rozot, a research officer at the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI), has been awarded a multi‑year contract under Wellcome Leap’s Delta Tissue (∆T) programme. Her research will investigate how the human immune system responds to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the thoracic lymph nodes, and why these responses sometimes fail, allowing the bacteria to spread to other organs. The findings are expected to inform future TB vaccine design and vaccination strategies.
Global Health EDCTP3 is now inviting applications for the EDCTP Prizes 2027, recognising outstanding individuals and research teams from Africa and Europe for their achievements in global health research and innovation.
The 2027 edition will award four prize categories, highlighting excellence in scientific leadership, collaborative team research, and gender-balanced scientific contributions. Prize winners will be announced at the EDCTP Forum 2027 in Madrid, Spain. Submissions are open until 2 September 2026.
Global Health EDCTP3 has opened the calls for abstracts, scientific symposia and workshops for the EDCTP Forum 2027, one of the leading global health research events focused on infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. The deadline for submissions is 2 September 2026 at 17:00 (Brussels time).
Under the theme ‘Innovating together for resilient global health', the 13th edition of the EDCTP Forum, taking place from 5-9 April 2027 in Madrid, Spain, will offer researchers, policymakers, funders and implementers the opportunity to showcase their work at a flagship global health event.
The Forum offers a unique platform to share research findings, build partnerships and help shape discussions on global health priorities. Currently, submissions for abstracts, scientific symposia and workshops are open.