The sub-Saharan Africa Health Research and Innovation Fellowship (SAHRI Fellowship) programme is an exceptional three-year training trajectory designed to empower 12 talented mid-career biomedical and clinical researchers from sub-Saharan Africa (sSA) to become leaders in biomedical innovation and clinical research, tackling the urgent challenges of infectious disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and control across the region.
The fellowship is fully funded by a grant from the Global Health EDCTP3 and implemented by a consortium of academic and research institutions from Europe and Africa, led by the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp in collaboration with BioNTech.
The programme is structured as a comprehensive professional development pathway, where SAHRI fellows grow through phases that include:
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Academic phase: Fellows enrol in the research-oriented Master of Science in Tropical Medicine at the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp (60 ECTS with a flexible and modular structure) and the Systems Thinking in Biotech Development course at the Access-To-Medicines (ATM) Research Centre of KULeuven, Belgium.
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Placement phase: Fellows undertake a six-month internship at BioNTech headquarters in Mainz, Germany, followed by hands-on research experience with scientists from member centres of the East African Consortium for Clinical Research (EACCR) in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, or at the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (IRSS-CRUN) in Burkina Faso.
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Return-home phase: In their third year, fellows implement a research project in their home country or region, advancing research and innovation with the opportunity to pursue a PhD programme and benefit from network connections, and contributing to sustainable impact within their home institutions and communities.
Each phase builds on the previous one, creating a seamless progression from academic excellence to practical experience and long-term community impact.
Founded in 1906, Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde (Institute of Tropical Medicine) is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the medium-sized city of Antwerp (population range of 500,000-1,000,000 inhabitants). Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatieorganisatie (Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders), Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde (ITM) is a very small (uniRank enrollment range: 500-999 students) coeducational higher education institution. Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde (ITM) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as pre-bachelor degrees (i.e. certificates, diplomas, associate or foundation degrees), master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 113 years old higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations. The admission rate range is 20-30% making this Belgian higher education organization a very selective institution. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment.