TIDRC Research Excellence Fellowships Programme

Terms and Conditions 2024

Purpose of Research Excellence Fellowships

Despite the multiple efforts made by international organisations and national programmes, tropical infectious diseases remain a major public health concern and constitute a significant burden for endemic countries. The Tropical Infectious Research Diseases Centre of the University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC) launched the TIDRC Research Excellence Fellowships Programme to enable postgraduates, early career researchers in the field of tropical medicine to undertake scientific research within the UEGDFU research Unit. The goal of this fellowships programme is to promote young research projects on infectious diseases, especially malaria, that lead to the implementation of effective and sustainable control strategies for reducing transmission. It also supports the translation of research outputs into policy and practices that improve the decision-making process by the policymakers in Benin. The objectives of the Research Excellence Fellowships are to:

Promote young scientists with good scientific knowledge.
Strengthen capacity building of researchers who have never got a fellowship in their own name.
Promote scholars and early career researchers with innovative ideas or solutions contributing to reducing the malaria burden
Provide support and networking opportunities to initiate the transition from academic scientific research to technology..

Thematic scope

Applications will be in area related to malaria from across the research spectrum of lab, translation, implementation and policy. Applications proposing studies on the following research priorities will be considered. Note that this is not an exclusive list of submission possibilities. Research priorities:

Axis 1: Biology and surveillance of malaria-transmitting vectors.
Axis 2: Biology and surveillance of Plasmodium parasites.
Axis 3: Vector-pathogen and/or host-pathogen interactions.
Axis 4: Efficacy of medicinal plants and drugs for malaria control.
Axis 5: Research results translation into operational and practical malaria control interventions.
Axis 6: Scientific research in supporting policymakers to solve malaria public health challenges.

According to the above research priorities, successful awardees will be hosted at the Environment, Data Management and University Training (UEGDFU), a research unit of the TIRDC located at the “Institut Régional de Santé Publique Alfred Quenum (IRSP-CAQ)”, Ouidah, Benin. For interdisciplinary projects, applicants are welcome to establish collaborations between UEGDFU/TIDRC and national or international laboratories or research institutions.

Research Excellence Fellowships value and timeline

Fellowships value

The maximum TIDRC Research Excellence Fellowships award is up to 5,000,000 XOF (Franc CFA) per project.

Timeline

The scope of the proposed project should determine the project period. However, the maximum project period is 12 months.
The project should start in October 2024, but please note that this may change due to the number of applications. If your project has a strict timeframe, please do let us know when you submit your application. The key dates for the programme are as follows.

Open for applications: June 14th 2024

Deadline for applications: July 31st 2024

Projects start: October 2024

Projects finish: October 2025

Reports due By: March 2025

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must be benineese, postgraduates, and early career researchers. Applications are particularly encouraged from qualified applicants who have completed their master's degree or in the early career stage and women.

Research proposal must be conducted at UEGDFU/TIDRC
Have submitted only one application for a TIDRC Research Excellence Fellowships programme.
The candidate must be available for full-time work at UEGDFU/TIDRC.
The research project must be related to the objective and scope described in the present call.
Applicants must demonstrate the ability to carry out research and produce data under supervision.
Early career researchers should provide evidence of being able to conduct research independently.
Be fluent in spoken and written English.
Be computer literate and proficient in using Microsoft Office suite for communication, word processing, analysis, presentation and report generation.
Demonstrate the ability to use statistical software for research data analysis.
TIDRC is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity in science. Researchers are encouraged to apply irrespective of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious, cultural and social backgrounds, or disability status.

Please, note that TIDRC Research Excellence Fellowships cannot be used for retrospective projects.

Research Excellence Fellowships eligible costs

The list below provides general guidance about the eligible costs under the TIDRC Research Excellence Fellowships Programme. We acknowledge that there might be exceptions to this guidance, and we encourage applicants to provide justification for any other costs in their budget narrative.

Monthly stipends (120,000 XOF for Master holders; 200,000 XOF for early careers).
Consumables.
Fieldwork expenses, including reasonable travel costs from and within site(s) and accommodation.
Computers, up to 10% of the overall budget.
Travel to a collaborative laboratory/institution.

Note that receipts or evidence of purchase of all items must be kept and deliver to the UEGDFU/TIDRC accountancy.

How to apply

All applicants must submit their application through the online system at "TIDRC Research Excellence Fellowship Programme Apply" , no later than July 31st 2024. Please include the following files:

Proposal (Two pages; note that figures and references are included in this page count).
Budget table and narrative (two pages)
Current curriculum vitae of Principal Investigator (One page)
Copy of the highest qualification
Proof of registration for master students.

The proposal has to be submitted in English and French. Any applicant who does not fully comply with the instructions will not be considered for review stage. An incomplete application will not be accepted. The PI curriculum vitae should indicate the PI’s complete address (including phone number and email as well as any affiliated institution(s). All documents must be formatted as follows:

11-point font
At least 0.5” margins all around
Single line spacing
Standard character spacing (neither expanded nor condensed)
Arial font

Selection and notification process

Proposals will be selected on a competitive basis by reviewer experts in tropical infectious diseases and TIDRC staff. Application will be evaluated on their scientific merit, relevance, feasibility and impact of the project. Principal Investigator will be informed of the results within eight weeks of the application deadline. By applying for a TIDRC Research Excellence Fellowships you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

Contact details

For technical issues or if you have questions about the scope and content of your proposal, please email the Programme Officer:
Mr Oswald Djihinto at tidrc.fellowships@cremituac.org.

OPPORTUNITIES