Prof. Charles Mgone, EDCTP Executive Director

In the current issue of the Newsletter, I am glad to announce the launch of various new EDCTP projects. These include new grants two schemes: namely the small grants and joint activity grants, that allow bridging of projects with other funding organisations or enhance and add value to ongoing and new projects. I am also very pleased to announce the launch of our webpage on EDCTP Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The KPIs will be useful to all stakeholders who wish to chart our progress as well as for internal monitoring, both for the secretariat and various constituents including member state performance. We have also launched a database on the profiles of EDCTP sponsored projects. This is a very useful source of information on who is doing what and where. This will be regularly updated to provide new information on the ongoing activities.

Additionally, we like to bring attention to all stakeholders the scholarships offered by EDCTP for MSc on clinical trials through distance learning by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. In view of the many activities that are currently and rapidly occurring at EDCTP, I will urge everyone to regularly visit our website for updates.

Finally I wish to sincerely thank everyone who has in the past or is currently associated and helping EDCTP in its endeavours. Special thanks to many of you who have participated or are participating in the various EDCTP constituents and review bodies and a very warm welcome to new members.

Calls open for application

Please find below an overview of all calls that are currently open for application.

Joint Programme Activities
EDCTP launches its first call for proposals which will serve to integrate and complement research carried out by EDCTP Member States and their African partners on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa. With this call, EDCTP invites member states to link their national research activities on the three poverty-related diseases (PRDs) and offers a financial contribution to top up available funds.

The € 5 M grant aims at funding projects within the scope of the EDCTP programme, namely the acceleration of clinical trials on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis interventions in sub-Saharan Africa through:

• Integration of member states’ national programmes
• Strengthening of north-south partnership
• Coordination and networking of African researchers
• Creation of sustainable capacity building in Africa.

Available funds: A minimum of € 5,000,000.
Deadline of application: applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Please visit the EDCTP website for more information on this call.

HIV Microbicides
Call for the support of clinical trials, capacity building and networking for HIV/AIDS microbicides in sub-Saharan Africa.
The objectives of this call are to support the conduct of clinical trials on microbicides that will yield data on safety, surrogate end-points of biological activity and surrogate markers that might correlate with safety or efficacy.

In addition, proposals that evaluate the effect of barriers, concurrent sexually transmitted infections, frequency of microbicide use and stage of menstrual cycle on safety and efficacy are invited. Innovative products or approaches are particularly encouraged.

Available funds: A minimum of € 6,100,000.
Deadline of application: 1 May 2008.

HIV Vaccines
Call for the support of clinical trials, capacity building and networking in HIV/AIDS vaccines development.
The main objective of this call is to support the conduct of Phase I/II clinical trials of HIV candidate vaccines in African countries. Such studies should include safety and immunogenicity parameters and should ideally be designed to enable comparison of outcomes.

Available funds: A minimum of € 7,000,000.
Letter of Intent due: 1 February 2008.
Deadline of application: 30 May 2008.

For more information about these calls and how to apply, please visit our website at www.edctp.org

Small grant programme
EDCTP launches a series of grants for its ‘small grant programme’. Examples of proposals that will be considered in the context of this programme are those that support networking activities that are relevant to the mission of EDCTP; requests for funding that would complete funding for grants that have already been awarded from other organisations to allow further implementation of relevant projects, in exceptional cases there may be bursaries available to attend meetings, related travel and training expenses within the EDCTP scope of activities. The EDCTP secretariat reserves the right to determine whether or not a proposal falls within the scope of EDCTP and is eligible under this scheme. Applications are welcome at any time but will only be reviewed on a quarterly basis. The maximum amount of funds that can be granted for each proposal is €50,000. Further details are available on our website.

Experts for EDCTP Scientific Review Committee
EDCTP is seeking experts to be members of their Scientific Review Committees (SRCs) and External Reviewers (ER). EDCTP invites applications from individuals wishing to serve as reviewers for:

• Clinical trials for the diseases HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis
• Postgraduate training awards
• Capacity building grants including ethics and establishment of networks of excellence.

New budget forms for HIV/AIDS proposals

Every application for EDCTP funding should be accompanied by a budget form (in Excel) and a statement that the project can be carried out for the budget requested. Applicants planning to file a research proposal with EDCTP in response to the calls for proposals for HIV treatment, vaccines and microbicides are requested to use the new budget forms that were published on the respective call text pages on the website on 3 March.

Funded projects

EDCTP is please to announce funding for the following projects:

Appointments
EDCTP-EEIG General Assembly
At the General Assembly meeting of 30 November 2007 in The Hague, Dr Diana Dunstan was re-elected as Chair. Prof. Patrice Debré (France), former PB Chair, and Dr Carmen Audera Lopez were elected as Vice-Chairs. The meeting also welcomed a new GA member: Peter Dukes (UK, replacing Mark Palmer).

Partnership Board
At the beginning of the year, Dr Sodiomon Sirima (Burkina Faso) was appointed as the new PB Chair and Eric Sandström (Sweden) and Richard Adegbola (The Gambia) were elected as Vice-chairs.

Developing Countries Coordinating Committee
EDCTP welcomes Hon. Prof. Nkandu Luo (Southern Africa), Dr Hulda Swai (Southern Africa), Dr Veronique N. Penlap (Central Africa) and Dr Alioune Dieye (West Africa), the new DCCC members who will be joining a committee comprising prominent scientists and policy makers from sub-Saharan Africa responsible for identifying capacity building needs, advocacy and enhancing the partnership between north and south.

EDCTP publishes Key Performance Indicators

In its quest for transparency and involvement of its stakeholders, EDCTP has now published online its first set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The KPIs provide an insight into EDCTPs progress and performance, and will be updated quarterly. They are taken across the range of EDCTP activities, from the number of clinical trials approved to the number of African institutions involved in EDCTP funded projects, and from the value of grants signed to actual expenditure breakdown. EDCTP invites all stakeholders to familiarise themselves with and monitor EDCTP’s progress by visiting the KPIs webpage (click ‘About EDCTP’ and then ‘Performance’) on the EDCTP website.Key Performance Indicators are quantifiable performance measurements used to define success factors and measure progress. EDCTP has identified KPIs to measure the success and progress of its programme to 2010. The KPIs cover all areas of activity for EDCTP, and are divided into four categories: grants, partnership, donors and governance. All KPIs are included in a chronological table, and have their own chart or graph which present them in a visual manner and often add details or cumulative information. EDCTP created the KPIs both for internal and external monitoring. As EDCTP recognises that numbers require interpretation, the KPIs will be developed over time and where necessary elaborated on by providing explanation and links to information relevant to a specific KPI.

Scholarships for Masters course in clinical trials open for application

Scholarships for the Distance Learning MSc Clinical Trials course (2008-2009) developed by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) with the support of EDCTP funding are now open for application. The scholarships cover full tuition fees to study the course, and are available to students who are nationals of a sub-Saharan country only. Details on the scholarships and how to apply are available through the LSHTM website (www.lshtm.ac.uk) and the University of London website (www.londonexteral.ac.uk). Preference will be given to individuals associated with EDCTP projects. Please note: do not file applications with EDCTP.

Launch of Project Profiles database

EDCTP is excited to announce the launch of its Project Profiles database. This online database contains summaries for all EDCTP-funded projects, and a range of search options to find any selection of projects requested. In the database, each project has its own summary, with an additional fact sheet on the project in layout that is easy to print. Currently, the database contains detailed information for the projects that were signed before 2007, but it will soon also include more elaborate information on the projects that were signed after that. After the launch, the profiles will be updated on a regular basis, so as to provide insight into progress and results. Also, EDCTP is investigating additional search options like interactive maps. EDCTP hopes that the database will be to the benefit of anyone intending to file an application in the future, and in a broader sense of everyone interested in EDCTP’s projects and activities.To browse this database, please visit www.edctp.org and click on the Project Profiles banner.