Monday, 14 December 2015

CALL FOR AFRICA SCIENCE LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME (ASLP)

The call for the second round of the Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP) is open.

The ASLP aims to train fellows in advanced leadership skills, connecting and empowering them to lead a new paradigm for African science. The inaugural programme exceeded all our expectations and we look forward to build on this success and network.

We invite applications from excellent early- to mid-career researchers in all disciplines including natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, arts and the humanities.

We hope that many of you would consider applying. Please also spread the call as widely as possible.

The call and application form are attached, or can be downloaded here:

The deadline is 11 January.

For further information, please contact the programme coordinator, Smeetha Singh:

Wednesday, 11 November 2015

CARTA’s co-director awarded honorary doctorate by the University of Gothenburg

Prof. Sharon Fonn, the co-director for the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the Sahlgrenska Academy, at the University of Gothenburg, which is one of the participating institutions in CARTA. This honorary doctorate was awarded courtesy of her collaboration with Sahlgrenska Academy; her work with CARTA; and the immense contribution of her research to the public healthcare system. The honorary doctorate was conferred at a ceremony in Gothenburg on October 16, 2015.

Honorary doctorates are awarded each year at Sahlgrenska Academy to those who have played a key role in the academy's research or education, or who have otherwise promoted progress in one of its focus areas.

Prof. Sharon Fonn being conferred the degree. Photo by Johan Wingborg
“It seems inconceivable to me when given such an honor, not to ask why me?  So why would the University of Gothenburg honor me in this way?” said Prof. Fonn.

In her speech while receiving the award, Prof. Fonn talked about her work during the apartheid in South Africa, her research on integrating and strengthening health care systems, as well as about being a member of the team that initiated the CARTA program. She further noted that she shares the fundamental values of the University of Gothenburg - values that led to a fruitful cooperation and also to her appointment for the award of an honorary doctorate at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

“I knew for me that being a doctor was a means to an end and not an end in itself; it was for me a way of redressing structural disadvantage at the population level.  Structural disadvantage is a profound force and engaging in efforts to redress disadvantage and inequality can be one’s life’s work. For those of us who make this part of our work, we are enormously privileged to do so. Being able to make a difference is tremendously rewarding and I can recommend it to anyone.  It has become one of my core values and one that I share with those that I work with at the University of Gothenburg” said Prof. Fonn.

“We must focus on people, not diseases. The entire health system must be strengthened in order for it to work and be able to respond to future outbreaks of serious diseases such as Ebola,” she said adding, “You understand the impact of structural inequality and that doing something to redress structural inequality is fulfilling and mutually beneficial. While you honor me so highly today with this honorary doctorate I want to stop and honor you for your commitment and action in promoting a more equal academic world and partnering with us in Africa.”


Prof. Fonn’s research has been greatly focused on the integration of health systems. She believes in interventions and actions targeting individuals rather than specific diseases, such as HIV because these prioritize the disease alone and has zero benefits to the health system as a whole.

Tuesday, 10 November 2015

Joint Advanced Seminar 2 for Cohort 5 fellows kicks off at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

The residential Joint Advanced Seminar (JAS) 2 for the fifth cohort of CARTA fellows kicked off on November 2, 2015, at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. 25 fellows from cohort 5 are attending the JAS which ends on November 26, 2015. University of Witwatersrand’s, School of Public Health is hosting the four-week long seminar.

“JAS 2 marks a critical step in the training of our fellows. At this JAS, fellows are equipped with necessary skills for developing their protocols. This ensures they move faster in the journey towards attaining their PhDs,” said Prof. Sharon Fonn while welcoming the fellows to JAS 2. Sharon is a Professor and head of the School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand and CARTA’s co-director. The one-month long seminar focuses on data management and analysis.

Cohort 5 fellows during a break at JAS 2
"JAS 2 kicked off to a beautiful and energetic start. The general mood here is one of optimism and excitement among the Cohort 5 fellows. Profs. Sharon Fonn and Margaret Thorogood effortlessly helped us to settle in. We are excited to see this JAS to a pleasant end," said Raymond Felix Odokonyero, cohort 5 fellows’ President. He is pursuing his doctoral studies at Makerere University, Uganda.

During JAS 2, fellows are exposed to software packages for qualitative and quantitative data management and analysis. It also has several practice sessions which use real research data and current software packages to offer hands-on training to enhance grasp of knowledge by the fellows. There are also regular methodology clinics (one-on-one meetings between fellows and their supervisors) designed to respond to individual needs of fellows and to strengthen specific areas where they feel deficient or simply to address specific challenges they are facing in their research.

Fellows are also introduced to journal clubs during this JAS and each of them has a chance to run a session observed and evaluated by a JAS Facilitator. These journal clubs allow fellows to become familiar with how to participate in and organize a journal club; develop their ability to critically read and discuss a paper; learn how to present an overview of a journal article, and acquire skills in peer review and discussion.

"JAS 2 has started very well and we feel at home here in Wits. The first week was structured in a clinical setting where we met facilitators for diagnosis of the specific problems we are facing during our protocol development process. It is through this diagnosis that we were assigned clinics for "treatment" purpose. Going through this treatment is something I look forward to in the next few weeks," said Jepchirchir Kiplaglat, a cohort fellow from Moi University attending the JAS.

To mark the end of JAS 2, fellows usually go for a field visit. This gives them a chance to have an experience with data collection; appreciate the importance of research management systems; discuss key ethical issues in populationbased longitudinal research; translate research findings into appropriate oral feedback for community, and have an awareness of practical issues that arise during fieldwork. 

This year’s field visit will be to the Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit located at the Agincourt Population and Health Unit. The Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), located in rural northeast South Africa close to the Mozambique border, provides the foundation for the Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit of the Medical Research Council (MRC) and University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Friday, 6 November 2015

Call for proposals - EDCTP-TDR Clinical Research and Development Fellowships

This joint call for proposals provides fellowships to early-to-mid-career scientists and clinical staff in low- and middle-income countries to learn how to conduct clinical trials.

Selected applicants are placed in pharmaceutical companies or product development partnerships for 6-24 months.

For complete information, visit the TDR grants page:



TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, is a global programme of scientific collaboration that helps facilitate, support and influence efforts to combat diseases of poverty. TDR is hosted at the World Health Organization (WHO), and is sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and WHO. For more information, visit: www.who.int/tdr

Wednesday, 4 November 2015

University of Witwatersrand appoints new focal point for CARTA

Dr. Jude Igumbor
Dr. Jude Igumbor has been appointed as the new focal person at the University of the Witwatersrand, for the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) program. Dr. Igumbor is a senior lecturer, PhD program in the School of Public Health, which offers an interdisciplinary PhD program.

He is a public health specialist, epidemiologist and biostatistician with 10 years experience in public health program design and management, strategic information systems and capacity building related to monitoring and evaluation.  His other experiences include teaching, research and communication of data to inform programmatic decision-making. 

Before he joined Wits, he provided technical assistance to district health teams to meet DoH, and USAID evaluation requirements on the PEPFAR cooperative agreement with USAID/South Africa. He also provided operations research to support company innovations with empirical evidence; documentation of program outcomes and impact as well as ensuring all data collected and reported meet data quality standards and guidelines.

He has served in various capacities as Researcher, Senior Lecturer and Project Manager in HIV and TB related interventions and academic capacity development projects. Dr. Igumbor has also published numerous peer review papers on HIV, diarrheal diseases, health-related quality of life and health system strengthening. Dr. Igumbor takes over this role from Prof. Sharon Fonn who is the co-director for the CARTA program.

Thursday, 29 October 2015

Call for Applications: 2015 Science Advice Workshop for African Scientists

The call for application to attend a science advice workshop for African Scientists on 26-27 February 2016 is now open (See attached document). Please assist us in circulating the call widely within your networks.

The workshop will bring together 50 scientists (young and established researchers) and key stakeholders for a dialogue on models of science advice, and promising practices for working at the interface between science and policy, and will form a basis for a network of science advice stakeholders in Africa.

It is coordinated by the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) on behalf of the International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA) which is a newly formed network operating under the aegis of the International Council of Science (ICSU).

This call is open to researchers residing and working on the African continent. Applications meeting the following criteria will be prioritised:
a.    Have a science background (natural and applied sciences, humanities, social sciences, engineering, health and medical sciences);
b.    Be affiliated to institutions of higher learning, academies of science, government/ statutory/private research/advisory institutes;
c.    Demonstrate the policy relevance of their area of research specialisation or professional expertise.

The following documents should be submitted electronically (via email) to Kholani Mbhiza (kholani@assaf.org.za) by 30 October 2015:
a.    Brief biography (not more than 400 words);
b.    Comprehensive CV (including list of publications);
c.    Motivation letter (this should cover: current contributions to the science-policy interface, reasons to be considered to attend the workshop, and how the lessons learnt from the workshop would be disseminated and would benefit the applicant’s country)
d.    Letter of reference supporting the application

Thursday, 15 October 2015

Call for applications - African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowships 2016

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), is pleased to announce the ninth call for applications for the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowships (ADDRF). The ADDRF Fellowship Program seeks to facilitate more rigorous engagement of doctoral students in research, strengthen their research skills, and provide them an opportunity for timely completion of their doctoral training. The Program targets doctoral students with strong commitment to a career in training and/or research. The overall goal of the ADDRF Program is to support the training and retention of highly-skilled, locally-trained scholars in research and academic positions across the region.
The ADDRF will award about 20 fellowships in 2016 to doctoral students who are within two years of completing their thesis at an African university. In this phase of funding and in consideration of IDRC’s health programming priorities, candidates whose dissertation topics address health policy or health systems issues will be given special consideration.
The application form and supporting documents (attached) must be submitted on email at2016addrf@aphrc.org
For questions, please contact:
The ADDRF Manager, E-mail: 2016addrf@aphrc.org
Telephone: 254 20 400 1000/ +254 20 266 2244 /+254 20 266 2255
Cell: +254 722 205-933 / 720 098-388 / 733 410-102; Fax : +254 20 400 1101
Kindly circulate the call widely
Downloads:
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Date limite: 15 janvier 2016
African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), avec l’appui du Centre de Recherche pour le Développement International (CRDI) a le plaisir de lancer le 9e appel à candidatures pour la Bourse Africaines de Recherche pour la Rédaction de Thèse (ADDRF). ADDRF a pour but de faciliter un engagement plus rigoureux des étudiants en thèse de doctorat dans la recherche; de renforcer leurs capacités à faire la recherche ainsi que d’offrir aux boursiers l’opportunité de terminer à temps la rédaction de leur thèse. La bourse vise les étudiants en thèse de doctorat engagés vers une carrière en formation et/ou en recherche. Le but général d’ADDRF est d’appuyer la formation et le maintien de spécialistes dans la région, formés localement dans le secteur académique et de la recherche.
L’ADDRF attribuera environ 20 bourses en 2016. Ces bourses seront octroyées aux étudiants d’universités africaines auxquels il reste tout au plus deux ans pour terminer leurs thèses.Pendant cette phase et en tenant compte des priorités du CRDI en matière de programmes de santé, une attention particulière sera accordée aux candidat(e)s dont les sujets de thèses adressent les problèmes de politique de santé ou de système de santé.
Le formulaire de demande et les pièces justificatives (re-joint) doivent être soumis à un seul email à 2016addrf@aphrc.org
Pour des questions, veuillez contacter:
ADDRF Manager, Courrier électronique: 2016addrf@aphrc.org
The application form below and supporting documents must be filled and submitted via email at 2015addrf@aphrc.org | Le formulaire de demande et les pièces justificatives doivent être soumis à un seul email à  2015addrf@aphrc.org
Downloads: