Deadline: November 12, 2023
Applications for the CAN African Career Acceleration Fellowships 2023 are now open. The Crick Africa Network (CAN) is offering African Career Acceleration Fellowships supported by LifeArc for early-career biomedical scientists to develop translational scientific programmes and become independent scientists.
They are looking for ambitious early-career African scientists who can demonstrate strong scientific and leadership potential, a keen interest in translational science, and a commitment to establishing their own research groups and continuing their careers on the African continent.
LifeArc-sponsored African Career Acceleration Fellowship will provide four years of funding and be hosted primarily in one of five African partner institutions:
- University of Cape Town
- MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
- Stellenbosch University
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana
Research Themes
All projects should have translational potential. Their definition of translational science is that it serves clinical, commercial, or environmental benefit. It should address a clear unmet medical need and bridge the gap between basic discovery science and product development and can include:
- human genetics
- disease pathogenesis and immunogenetics
- pathogen genomics or bioinformatics
- host-pathogen interaction
- diagnostics and biomarkers
- pandemic preparedness
- antimicrobial resistance (AMR), or
- drug and vaccine discovery for development
Their priority areas include
- diseases caused by viruses such as HIV, HBV and SARS-CoV-2
- bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium ulcerans
- other bacterial pathogens including AMR-priority pathogens
- fungal pathogens
- protozoal pathogens that cause diseases such as typanosomiasis, malaria and cryptospoidiosis
- helminths, and
- other neglected tropical diseases
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for the African Career Acceleration Fellowship you must have:
- Citizenship or permanent residency status for an African country;
- A PhD in a relevant field with two to five years of postdoctoral experience, or a clinical PhD (MBChB) with at least three years of relevant research experience;
- A strong track record indicating potential as a scientific leader on the African continent;
- A strong translational science proposal in one of the CAN research areas;
- Approached and reached an agreement regarding your proposed science with your mentor in your chosen African partner institute and your chosen mentor at the Crick before submitting your scientific proposal.
Application
Before you apply
- Before submitting your application, you must read the application notes (PDF).
- If you have questions about the translational potential of your proposed research idea and how LifeArc could support development, contact Andy Merritt, LifeArc project lead and head of academic engagement, at [email protected].
- Applicants must have identified a mentor at their chosen African partner institute and the Crick before making an application. Crick research labs can be found in the A-Z lab listing.
Submitting your application
- Applications should be submitted through the online academic recruitment portal.
- Only fully completed applications will be considered.
For more information, visit Crick Fellowships.
