The Science for Africa Foundation (SFA) is proud to announce an exciting new scholarship opportunity that is set to foster a vibrant ecosystem of Epidemic Science Leadership and Innovation Networks (EPSILONs) across Africa. This initiative will bring together three to six organizations in a ‘hub and spoke’ consortium, with each consortium establishing a network of research excellence in a thematic area relevant to epidemic and pandemic sciences research, preparedness, and response.
These networks aim to promote world-class epidemic and pandemic sciences research and innovation in Africa, building a critical mass of experts across all health sectors on the continent to address ongoing health challenges while strengthening capabilities to respond to future infectious diseases and health threats. The EPSILONs will also contribute to developing communities of practice that may be leveraged for long-term collaboration and during future outbreaks to respond to urgent research and policy needs.
To be eligible for this opportunity, lead applicants must be based at an eligible organization, hold an academic or research post, have a salary or the guarantee of a salary for the duration of the award period, or be required by their contract of employment to have a salary. The thematic research areas include vaccinology/early-stage vaccine research and development, virology – genotype to phenotype, clinical research and clinical trials on epidemic and pandemic-prone infections, epidemic and pandemic public health policy research, climate change, biodiversity, and pandemic prevention, advanced data assembly, and analytics for threat assessment and mitigation, and social and behavioural sciences.
Successful consortia will receive up to USD 4 million over five to six years, with additional funding expected from other sources throughout the program. The application deadline is January 31, 2024, and interested and qualified applicants can apply at the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA) website. This scholarship opportunity is a fantastic chance to contribute to the development of African healthcare and make a meaningful difference in the fight against infectious diseases.
