EDCTP Career Development Fellowships 2025 in poverty-related diseases and child and adolescent health: The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) is now accepting applications from qualified early- to mid-career researchers in sub-Saharan Africa for its 2025 Career Development Fellowships in Poverty-related Diseases and Child and Adolescent Health. The deadline for the submission of applications for the EDCTP Career Development Fellowships is 5th August, 2025.
Applications are open for the EDCTP Career Development Fellowships 2025 in Poverty-related Diseases and Child and Adolescent Health. The purpose of this Call for Proposals is to support early- to mid-career researchers by providing them with opportunities to train and develop their clinical research skills.
READ: Igbinedion University Post UTME/DE Form 2025/2026 Academic Session
EDCTP Career Development Fellowships 2025.
Status: Active
Type of action: Training & Mobility Actions (TMAs)
Call budget: €3.75 million
Funding level: 100% of eligible costs
Open date: 10 April 2025, 00:00
Close date: 5 August 2025, 17:00
- Expected number of grants: 16-25
- Call identifier: TMA2025CDF
- Project Officer: Michelle Helinski, contact via helinski@edctp.org
EDCTP Career Development Fellowship Objectives.
The objectives are:
- To promote retention of postdoctoral researchers and postgraduate medical researchers in the clinical or field research areas of sub-Saharan Africa
- To equip the fellows to establish themselves as independent researchers with ability to establish their own research teams at host institutions in sub-Saharan Africa.
Proposals should enhance the ability of the fellow to design, plan and execute clinical biomedical and/or social science/ethics research projects within the scope of the EDCTP2 programme.
Due to the extraordinary global crisis of COVID-19 that is also affecting African countries, this topic should also be considered by applicants.
EDCTP Career Development Fellowship Eligibility.
- The applicant must be a legal entity established in sub-Saharan Africa.
- The fellow must be employed or have guaranteed employment by the applicant legal entity (the host organisation) where they intend to remain working for a minimum of two years after the expiration of the grant.
- The applying fellow must:
- be a resident of or be willing to relocate to a sub-Saharan African country;
- be either a graduate in a subject relevant to the EDCTP programme, with a PhD and up to five years’ relevant postdoctoral research experience, or a medical doctor with up to five years’ research experience;
- have at least one publication in an international peer-reviewed journal;
- not have been funded under this fellowship scheme before.
EDCTP Career Development Fellowship Benefits.
The requested EDCTP contribution per action shall not exceed EUR 150,000. The maximum fellowship duration shall be 36 months.
Background of this Fellowship.
For many young scientists in developing countries the transition from doctoral qualification to becoming an established, independent researcher is very difficult due to a lack of sustainable research funding and limited access to established research networks. As research in the field of poverty related diseases (PRDs) gains momentum, it is paramount to facilitate opportunities for early and mid-career scientists in sub-Saharan Africa to develop their clinical research skills. Providing possibilities for individual training would enable talented scientists to establish themselves as independent researchers and team leaders at host institutions in sub-Saharan Africa for long-term continuity, networking and research ownership in the region for fighting PRDs, including areas that lack enough trained researchers, such as maternal, child and adolescent health (MCAH). In the next 10 years it is essential for researchers in sub-Saharan Africa to establish centres of excellence in research for MCAH. These require trained personnel in this health area and well-equipped centres.
EDCTP Career Development Fellowship Expected Impact.
Projects funded under this Call for Proposals should:
- Contribute towards the achievement of SDG3 ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’
- Promote career progression of researchers in Africa
- Encourage entry and reintegration of African scientists trained abroad and
- Enable the retention of postdoctoral and postgraduate researchers in their respective research fields and that the researchers develop into independent researchers and team leaders at host institutions in sub-Saharan Africa.
Ultimately these grants will contribute to the generation of a critical mass of clinical or field/social science/ethics researchers and institutional research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.
How to Apply EDCTP Career Development Fellowships 2025 in poverty-related diseases and child and adolescent health.
This is a single-stage application procedure. Proposals must be submitted by August 5, 2025 at 17:00 CEST. Evaluation results are expected to be made available by December 21, 2025.
Important Notes
Fondation Botnar is a Swiss-based foundation which champions the use of Artificial Intelligence and digital technology to improve the health and well-being of children and young people in growing urban environments. To achieve this, the foundation supports research, catalyses diverse partners, and invests in scalable solutions around the world. Find out more at: www.fondationbotnar.org
Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. As a leading global medicines company, it uses innovative science and digital technologies to create transformative treatments in areas of great medical need. In its quest to find new medicines, Novartis consistently ranks among the world’s top companies investing in research and development. Find out more at: www.novartis.com
* This additional condition for participation according to the Rules for Participation (RfP) Art. 9.5 is required due to the objectives of this Training & Mobility Action. It aims to support junior fellows in sub-Saharan Africa in line with the activities called for by the EU legislator (EDCTP2 Basic Act, Annex II, activity 1c). It contributes to the specific objectives of the EDCTP2 programme which calls, e.g., for cooperation with sub-Saharan Africa on building their capacity for conducting clinical trials in compliance with fundamental ethical principles, relevant legislation, and international standards, and for extended cooperation with private partners (EDCTP2 Basic Act, Annex I, objectives 2b).
**This additional condition for participation according to RfP Art. 9.5 is required due to the objectives of the EDCTP2 programme which requires that the capacity for conducting clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa are built and strengthened (EDCTP2 Basic Act, Annex II). Allowing fellows in sub-Saharan Africa to only receive once a specific EDCTP2 fellowship will increase the number of different fellows supported and promoted under the EDCTP2 programme, and in turn, strengthen more broadly the corresponding clinical research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.
