Report: EDCTP Fellowship Programme 2003–2022

Capacity development is a core EDCTP activity, complementing its support for clinical trials and product-focused implementation research. Effective capacity development requires a long-term perspective, an integrated system-wide approach, and strong partnerships with host countries to ensure sustainability. Guided by these principles, EDCTP is making a lasting contribution to the capacity of countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Apart from the capacity development investments in the research & innovation and the coordination & support grants, EDCTP invests in human capacity development through an extensive fellowship programme which is the focus of this report.

The investment in the fellowships programme has increased about five-fold in EDCTP2 compared to EDCTP1. The EDCTP fellowship schemes have provided opportunities for scientific leaders and promising early-career researchers to remain in Africa and develop their research programmes and international networks, helping to strengthen the regional science base and providing countries with vital expertise in poverty-related infectious diseases. This research capacity proved invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many EDCTP fellows making important contributions to the COVID-19 response in individual countries. In addition, the fellowship schemes are helping to maintain the pipeline of scientific talent that will provide the scientific leadership that the region will need in the future to define and address its health priorities and enhance the health and wellbeing of its populations.