Current Organisation

Baylor College of Medicine Children's Foundation

Current Job Title

Research Associate

Biography

Project Title

TESA addressing gender and diversity regional gaps in clinical research capacity (TAGENDI)

EDCTP Project Call

Female PhD Fellowships

Host Organisation

Project Objectives

-To improve access to PhD training program by female candidates and ensure that they complete the training. -To adapt the current consortium agreement in order to respond to the network need on the equality and inclusion to be implemented at each institution in the network. -Promote and establish networking and mobility schemes among the fellows and the EDCTP Networks of Excellence -Promote the dissemination of the fellowship activities and gender balance on the training program

Study Design

The training is designed to address the existing gender imbalance. Four female candidates will be recruited for PhD training. Using the already established partnership within the TESA network the project will award four fellowships based on a very well established and transparent process to carry out their studies

Project Summary

Gender imbalance and differences between regions to afford competitive resources is well known, but little is being done to correct a centuries social problem. It’s true that EDCTP has a gender promotion within its principles but the differences across the regions and gender imbalance are still visible. This call represents once again the EDCTP’s contribution in the reduction of gender imbalance reflected from the EDCTP-Africa CDC workshop. The workshop findings were that gender was embedded in the structural arrangements of education systems in low and middle income countries (LMICs). With more women in science at the highest levels, society will gradually accept that women can do well in science, providing thus role models are for young girls and women to emulate. The Fellows will come from the TESA II/III members and will be provided with training opportunity in a well-established institution within the network. In this way the network will maximize the resources of the grant for the benefit of the fellows. Through competitive internal calls, fellowships will be offered to female researchers within the network looking to develop their careers at PhD level. To achieve this Next Generation of female researchers, it is important to identify a group of senior researchers devoted to mentorship within the network. The masters and PhD graduates who were supported in TESA II will act as peer mentors. The grant will train 4 PhD female students. With this grant the network expects to promote female investigators to the high levels of their career within their institutions. TESA training program will be shared in a number of different formats appropriate and accessible to our different key stakeholders. TESA will work closely with EDCTP and Africa CDC to ensure that results of this project are disseminated appropriately