News & Updates

December 2023 Edition, Issue 72

Welcome to another edition of the CARTA monthly updates. Read on to keep abreast with what is new.

A Great Year, Thank You for being Part of it!

As we bid farewell to 2023, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support in advancing CARTA's mission of transforming postgraduate and research training in Africa. Your participation and collaboration, direct or indirect, have been instrumental in the success of our initiatives. Looking on to 2024, we are optimistic that our collective efforts will continue to shape vibrant academic and research environments. Wishing you a joyful holiday season!

Consortium-Wide Fundraising Efforts

The Secretariat, led by program co-directors, is engaging with partners to strengthen proposals for two important calls that align with CARTA’s theory of change. Several groups have already expressed interest in these initiatives. Reach out to us, and we will collaborate with you to craft applications encompassing CARTA interventions:

• EPSILON: This call by the Science for Africa (SFA) Foundation focuses on epidemic sciences, offering a research grant with a substantial emphasis on capacity strengthening, research leadership training, and networking.

• Applied Global Health Partnerships: Presented by UKRI, this funding opportunity supports the establishment of networks and capacity-strengthening activities for partnerships with a robust research program. Similar to our CARTA research hubs, this call boasts a significantly larger budget and allows for short training sessions, including Academic, Professional, and Administrative Staff (APAS) workshops, supervisors workshops, Graduate Grant Writing Workshops (GGWW), and modules of Joint Advanced Seminars (JASes) 3 and 4.

• Applied Global Health Research: Serving as the research counterpart to the partnership grant mentioned above, this call places a primary focus on research. It presents an ideal opportunity to incorporate PhD fellowships, postdoctorals, and some of the post-PhD training offered in JAS 4 and the GGWW.

Graduations

Five CARTA fellows registered at the University of the Witwatersrand graduated on December 11, 2023, at the 2023 graduation ceremony of the university.

Beryl Maritim (cohort 10, Moi University)

Dissertation: Examining The Role Of Affordability, Citizen Engagement, And Social Solidarity In Determining Health Insurance Coverage In Kenya



Olujide Olusesan Arije (cohort 9, Obafemi Awolowo University)

Dissertation: Quality of Care and Stated Preferences in Sexual and Reproductive Health Services for Adolescents and Young People in Southwest Nigeria





Priscille Musabirema (cohort 9, University of Rwanda)

Dissertation: Development and Pilot Testing of an Educational Supportive Program for Persons with End-stage Renal Disease on Haemodialysis in Rwanda



Kellen Joyce Karimi (cohort 7, University of Nairobi)

Dissertation: Investigation of Contamination of Community Groundwater Sources with Antibiotics in Informal Settlements in Kisumu, Kenya





Wanagwa Manda (cohort 7, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences)

Dissertation: Social Support and Sexual Health Among Very Young Adolescent Girls in Two Districts in Malawi: A Narrative Inquiry

PhD Completion

Abimbola Obimakinde (cohort 9, University of Ibadan) completed all the requirements of her PhD degree at the University of the Witwatersrand for the thesis ‘Children on the Streets of Ibadan, Nigeria: Experiences, Family Dynamics, and Health Status.’ The degree will be conferred during the graduation ceremony in July 2024.

Nicole De Wet-Billings (cohort 1, University of the Witwatersrand) has been appointed to the position of Senior Director of Academic Affairs, effective January 1, 2024. Nicole is an Associate Professor in the Demography and Population Studies department, Acting Head of the School of Social Sciences, and co-Assistant Dean for Research in the Faculty of Humanities at Wits.

Skye Adams (cohort 9 University of the Witwatersrand) received the Female Academic Leaders Fellowship NPC (FALF) grant on December 4, 2023. FALF seeks to develop a pipeline of South African, African, and Africans of mixed ancestry female academic leaders in tertiary institutions (Chancellor’s Fellows).

Kudus Adebayo (cohort 6, University of Ibadan) participated in the 16th General Assembly of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), where he served as a rapporteur and spoke in a special panel focusing on the training of the next generation of young scholars in Africa. CODESRIA was held from December 4 - 8, 2023, in Dakar, Senegal.

Aline Uwase (cohort 10, University of Rwanda) delivered an oral presentation at the 9th annual scientific conference hosted by the Rwanda Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RSOG). The conference was held between December 14-15, 2023, with the theme ‘Navigating Women’s Health on Priority Health Agenda.’ Aline’s presentation centered on the research findings related to one of her PhD objectives, ‘Factors Contributing to the Dietary Practices of Pregnant Women in Sub-Saharan African Countries: A Scoping Review.’

Oluwatosin Olorunmoteni (cohort 10, Obafemi Awolowo University) attended the 5th International Developmental Paediatrics Association Congress held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from November 29 to December 1, 2023. She delivered two oral presentations on pediatric sleep and development during this conference.

Thirty-nine Awarded PhDs at the 2023 Wits Graduation Ceremony

The University of the Witwatersrand held a week-long graduation ceremony between December 11- 15, where a total of 2,500 Graduated. Of these, 39 graduates (5 CARTA fellows) were conferred with PhD degrees from across all the colleges. Congratulations to all the graduates!

APHRC 20th-Anniversary Documentary

APHRC marked 20 years of thought leadership as the continent's premier research and policy organization. The APHRC 20th-anniversary documentary highlights the two decades of unwavering commitment to African health and population research and relentless pursuit of evidence, policy action, groundbreaking studies, and impactful research. Watch here

Funding: Open Call for Transnational Service Provision

The Horizon Europe-funded project canSERV has launched a call for application to address the research needs of the entire oncology developmental pipeline. Researchers are welcome to apply to a portfolio of services from basic discovery to translational science, translation into personalized oncology, and clinical research. CanSERV services are open to scientists, including researchers from both public and private entities, universities, institutes, high-profile SMEs, and European research consortia in EU member and associated countries. This opportunity is open to both European and non-European researchers, although some limitations apply to users from non-EU/Associated states as they can only represent 20% of the total budget dedicated by canSERV. Proposals can be submitted by a group of scientists. Details

Deadline: January 4, 2024

Funding: Networks of Research Excellence in Epidemic and Pandemic Sciences Across Africa

The Science for Africa Foundation, in partnership with the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford and the Mastercard Foundation, is releasing a call to establish networks of research excellence in epidemic and pandemic sciences across Africa. Funds are offered for up to six years for the Epidemic Science Leadership and Innovation Networks (EPSILONs), which aim to nurture and promote world-class epidemic and pandemic sciences research and innovation in Africa. The networks will nurture and promote world-class epidemic and pandemic sciences research and innovation in Africa, building a critical mass of experts across the continent to address ongoing health challenges whilst strengthening capabilities to respond to future infectious diseases and health threats. Details

Deadline: January 13, 2024

Funding: MRC - Applied Global Health Research (Stage One)

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) board recognizes that applied global health research requires a diverse range of collaborating organizations to affect sustainable change. The board is looking to fund research projects that will lead to tangible change in health policy and practice in the near future through practical, impact-focused research. They aim to fund a diverse portfolio of high-quality global research that will promote multidisciplinarity and strengthen global health research capacity. Details

Deadline: February 13, 2024

Fellowship: AMARI-II Postdoctoral Fellowships at the University of Zimbabwe

The African Mental Health Research Initiative (AMARI) is excited to disseminate the call for applications for the University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (UZFMHS) Postdoctoral fellowships. We have three fellowships for postdoctoral studies in 2024. This funding opportunity is to build scientific excellence in Mental, Neurological, and Substance misuse (MNS) research with a strong focus on developing community-based intervention strategies with the aim of addressing the mental health treatment gap that exists in Sub-Saharan Africa. The program is designed for holders of a PhD in a foundational discipline relevant to public mental health e.g. psychology, public health, medicine, occupational therapy, and social work. Details

Deadline: January 15, 2024

Fellowship: Postgraduate Diploma in Global Health Research

Offered by the University of Oxford, the fully online Postgraduate Diploma in Global Health Research is a part-time taught program, delivered entirely online over four terms (14 months). The course is designed for those involved in the funding, collaboration, design, delivery, or regulation of research in global health. It will equip students with a thorough understanding of the steps and processes required to conduct high-quality and ethically framed studies within the contextual realities of resource-constrained settings. This part-time course is suitable for busy professionals who want to keep working or cannot travel and aims to tackle inequities in health research leadership. Applications are open for the 2024-25 intake. Details

Fellowship: Ruth Bishop Fellowship in Vaccinology

Funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the fellowship an outstanding mid-career female researcher with a focus on vaccinology, preferably related to enteric diseases. The fellow will be provided a salary equivalent to a mid-career package salary provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia. In addition, the fellow will be provided a generous research support package and be mentored to leverage further funding from granting bodies or industry and facilitate collaboration related to the research project. Details

Deadline: January 14, 2024

Fellowship: TWAS-LUMS Postgraduate Programme

The Lahore University of Management Sciences, (LUMS), Pakistan and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)have open fellowships for young scientists from developing countries (other than Pakistan) who wish to pursue research toward a PhD in Natural Sciences and Engineering. Details

Deadline: March 13, 2024

Fellowship: TWAS-DBT Postgraduate Programme

The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), in partnership with UNESCO, announced the opening of applications for a fellowship program under the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Ministry of Science and Technology in India and UNESCO-TWAS for foreign scholars from developing countries who wish to pursue research towards a PhD in Biotechnology. Details

Deadline: March 19, 2024

Fellowship: ANSO-CAS-TWAS/UNESCO PhD Scholarship

The Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS/UNESCO) for the advancement of science in developing countries have openings for up to 50 students/scholars from developing countries to be sponsored to study in China for doctoral degrees for up to 4 years. Details

Deadline: February 15, 2024

Podcast: Global Young Academy

The Global Young Academy (GYA) develops, connects, and mobilizes young talent from six continents, and empowers young researchers to lead international, interdisciplinary, and intergenerational dialogue. The vision of GYA  is science for all; science for the future, and its mission to give a voice to young scientists around the world. GYA aims to elevate the voice of young scientists in evidence-informed and inclusive global, regional, and national decision-making. It has 200 members, comprised of passionate young scientists, typically 3-10 years after their PhD, between 30 to 40 years of age, and in the early stages of their independent academic careers. Members are selected for their scientific excellence and commitment to engage with society and serve five-year terms. Through its audio platform, ‘Voices of Young Scientists; GYA members, and alumni share their insights on a variety of topics and connect with stakeholders. Explore here

Webinar: Making the Best of Mentoring

The MRC Clinical Trials Unit (MRC CTU) at UCL Capacity Strengthening Hub is excited to announce a webinar in a series focusing on different roles in clinical trials that will take place on January 30, 2024. A panel of four experienced mentors from Africa, India, and the UK will be passing on their experience and top tips and discussing the audience to join in on. It will be aimed at early or mid-career researchers who may have no or some experience of being a mentor and might benefit from the discussions. Register here

To be featured in the next CARTA Monthly, share with us your news and updates

via email to cartacomms@cartafrica.org on or before January 25, 2024.

Submissions should include but are not limited to:

upcoming events, meetings, story ideas, new collaborations, new trials/updates, upcoming and published papers, policy briefs, community engagement activities, scholarships, what you are reading, if you won a grant, attending or about an upcoming conference, a call for applications/funding/papers, etc.

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