Description

Background
Prizes have a strong potential to drive innovation through the recognition of achievements and the promotion of role models. In this regard, EDCTP plans to award four prestigious international prizes dedicated to the promotion of scientific research, improved health and Africa-European collaboration. These prizes are presented to outstanding individuals and research teams, especially from Africa and Europe and are announced at the biennial EDCTP Forum.

The four prestigious prizes are:

• Scientific Leadership Prize: Awarded to excellent a world-class scientist in Africa up to 50 years of age working on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected infectious diseases (NIDs) in the scope of the EDCTP2 programme. (Call identifier: SL-Prize2017)
• Outstanding Female Scientist Prize: Awarded to an excellent world-class female scientist in sub-Saharan Africa and working in the remit of the EDCTP2 programme. (Call identifier: OFS-Prize2017)
• Outstanding Research Team Prize: Awarded to an outstanding research team from Africa and Europe working on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected infectious diseases (NIDs) in the scope of the EDCTP2 programme. (Call identifier: ORT-Prize2017)
• Dr Pascoal Mocumbi Prize: This prize is in special recognition of the significant contribution made by Dr Pascoal Mocumbi, the first High Representative of the EDCTP. It is to be awarded to a senior scientist, or policy-maker or advocate for health and research (aged 50 years and above at the time of closure of this contest), from anywhere in the world. (Call identifier: PM-Prize2017)

Expected impact

• Scientific Leadership Prize: The cash prize should be used to further the research programmes of the winner and may support activities such as supporting study visits and training attachments to collaborating institutions, data collection for baseline studies, conference and meeting attendance, and other relevant research-related activities.
• Outstanding Female Scientist Prize: The cash prize should be used to further the research programmes of the winner and may support activities towards training and mentorship of the future generation of researchers in Africa.
• Outstanding Research Team Prize: The cash prize should be used to further the research programmes of the winners and may support activities such as supporting study visits and training attachments to collaborating institutions, data collection for baseline studies, conference and meeting attendance, and other relevant research-related activities. The objective of this award is to encourage scientific/research excellence, translation of research into policy and practice, sustainable capacity development coupled with skills and technology transfer.
• Dr Pascoal Mocumbi Prize: The prize will not only allow rewarding of specific achievements but will also raise awareness with the general public on the prize winner, their specific achievements, and the EDCTP2 programme.

Amount of the prizes

• Scientific Leadership Prize: This consists of a recognition trophy and a cash prize of  €10,000.
• Outstanding Female Scientist Prize: This consists of a recognition trophy and a cash prize of €20,000.
• Outstanding Research Team Prize: This consists of a recognition trophy and a cash prize of €50,000.
• Dr Pascoal Mocumbi Prize: This consists of a recognition trophy and a cash prize of €50,000.

Eligibility
The contestants for the first three prizes (Scientific Leadership Prize, Outstanding Female Scientist Prize, and Outstanding Research Team Prize) must be residents of a sub-Saharan African country, or an EU Member State, or a country associated with the Horizon 2020 programme.

The contest for the Dr Pascoal Mocumbi Prize is open to contestants from all parts of the world. However, special rules apply for Israeli entities*, Crimean legal persons, and entities from non-EU Member States that are covered by Council sanctions that make them not eligible to participate**.

The nomination of contestants who are currently employees of EDCTP, or serving on its EDCTP advisory body (Scientific Advisory Committee) or on its governing bodies (General Assembly and the Association Board) will not be permitted for any of the prizes.

Moreover, applicants that have already received an EDCTP prize before, cannot receive a second prize for the same activities.

Notes:

* See the Commission Guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 for grants, prizes and financial instruments funded by the EU from 2014 onwards (OJ C 205/9-11 of 19.7.2013, pp. 9-11).

** For the list of persons, groups and entities subject to EU financial sanctions, see here

Procedure and application process

Submission

Applications have to be submitted by the contestants (natural persons who are nominee/nominator) via the online EDCTPgrants portal. Applications will have to clearly state the involvement of the contestants in the research and innovation activities within the remit of the EDCTP2 programme. The contestant (nominee/nominator) will have to provide proof of eligibility and a written presentation of their achievements, which will be presented to an independent panel of experts for evaluation.

Evaluation, scoring and thresholds
Following an admissibility and eligibility check, nominations will be evaluated by an external, independent panel of experts, according to the award criteria specified under each prize category. Each criterion is scored between 0 and 5.

• Scientific Leadership Prize: contestants have made significant achievements in their field and will continue to become leaders in their research field. In addition to their scientific excellence, the contestants should have made major contributions to the objectives of the EDCTP2 programme to strengthen research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa and to support South-South and North-South networking. Contestants nominated for this prize should not exceed 50 years of age, at the time of the closure of this contest.
• Outstanding Female Scientist Prize: the contestants must have been involved in research and innovation activities in sub-Saharan Africa within the scope of the EDCTP2 programme. Contestants should have made a significant scientific contribution and built measurable impactful research capacity through training and mentorship for the future generation of researchers/scientists in Africa. This prize is restricted to female scientists in sub-Saharan Africa and has no age restriction.
• Outstanding Research Team Prize: this prize recognises a consortium or group of partners who have achieved the goal of taking on EDCTP priority issues in poverty related diseases (PRDs). In collaboration, the team should demonstrate that it has built effective and equitable South-North partnerships to answer the priority research questions and produced health-policy relevant deliverables, such as research data implemented into policy and practice, high impact publications and significant capacity building outputs at local research sites. At the time of application, contestants should be actively involved in research, capacity development and networking in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe with outstanding achievements and scientific and policy impact in their respective fields.
• Dr Pascoal Mocumbi Prize: the contestant should have made significant achievements in promoting Africa-Europe partnerships in global health research; made unique contribution to promoting and facilitating the clinical development of products for poverty-related diseases; made achievements in advancing capacity development for health research in sub-Saharan Africa; and made achievements in promoting international networking of researchers, policy makers, funders and donors on poverty-related diseases (PRDs). Contestants nominated for this prize should exceed 50 years of age, at the time of the closure of this contest.

Financial provisions

The call budget is 130,000 EUR.

Application process

• The application must be submitted online via EDCTPgrants
• Only registered users of the EDCTPgrants system can apply for grants. Therefore, you are advised to register on the system as soon as possible.

Documents and other information

Documents

• Call text (PDF)
• Model Rules of Contest (RoC) for EDCTP2 Prizes
• Commission Guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 for grants, prizes and financial instruments funded by the EU from 2014 onwards (OJ C 205/9-11 of 19.7.2013, pp. 9-11)
• For the list of persons, groups and entities subject to EU financial sanctions, see here

More information

For questions related to this call for nominations, please contact: Dr Michelle Singh at singh[at]edctp.org

For questions and issues about EDCTPgrants and the online application submission please contact EDCTP via edctpgrants[at]edctp.org or call +31 (0)70 344 08 80

For guidance on the online application procedure, please refer to the Guidance for applicants

For more information about EDCTP2 procedures, please refer to the EDCTP2 Grants Manual and EDCTP2 FAQs