Deadline: July 16, 2023
Applications are open for the AREF Essential Grant Writing Skills Programme 2023. The Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) works to strengthen the health research capacity of scientists in Africa who are engaged in tackling the continent’s significant health challenges. AREF is calling for applications from scientists who are active, emerging biomedical/health researchers in African countries to participate in in the forthcoming Essential Grant Writing Skills Programme.
This fully online programme will be held over eight 3-hour sessions during the weeks of 9 October 2023 and 27 November 2023. There will be a six-week break in between the two sessions, where you will be expected to write a mini proposal. This is an intensive programme that is designed to produce tangible progress towards a grant proposal by the end of the workshop series. Your commitment to the entire series and to the additional work outside of sessions will be necessary to achieve these outcomes.
To fully benefit from this workshop series, you will be at a stage in your research career where you are actively seeking independent funding, or have won smaller grants, but have yet to secure that big grant necessary to support your research independence.
Workshop Details
The Workshop 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.
The Workshop 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.
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, having completed your research education.
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 2017);
- 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 2017).
- AND 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.
- 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).
Assessment Criteria
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 Sub-Saharan Africa.
- How you will “cascade,” i.e., to pass on, the knowledge and skills you have gained from the workshop
- Practical support committed by your sponsor(s) or mentor(s).
- Adequate command of English.
Application
Download and thoroughly read the application guidance document. Any additional documents required as instructed in the online application form, including accompanying letters from Sponsors or Mentors should be sent to [email protected]
For more information, visit AREF.
