Malaria Research Capacity Development in West and Central Africa (360G-Wellcome-107741_C_15_Z)

The vision of this programme is to establish a core group of internationally-competitive scientists, in West and Central Africa who can contribute significantly with new information from research to the current fight local governments, are waging against malaria, eventually leading to pre-elimination and then elimination of this disease in these countries. The new programme will be built on the achievements of the PhD and post-doctoral programmes conducted by the Malaria Capacity Development Consortium (MCDC) which followed the Gates Malaria Partnership (GMP). The overall strategy of the new programme is to extend capacity building to the next level by supporting research groups and institutions. More specifically, we will (1) create research teams "in training" comprising a senior post-doctoral fellow (potential research leader with at least 3 years post PhD training), early postdoctoral fellows and PhD students supported by senior researchers at the host institution and (2) integrate early postdoctoral fellows and PhD studentsinto established research teams. Research projects will be fully integrated within the ongoing research programmes that are focusing on malaria control/elimination in West and Central Africa. Malaria control activities in West and Central Africa have resulted in a substantial decrease in the incidence of malaria during the last five years, thanks to the contribution of research that has guided policy. Despite these successes, new challenges such as the emergence of insecticide and drug resistance, a shift in the age groups most at risk, the maintenance of transmission by unidentified malaria hot spots and, lastly, difficulties in deciding the most cost-effective combinations of interventions call for additional research to better target existing interventions and identify new ones. In this changing environment, a new world-class generation of African scientists able to provide relevant answers to the challenges encountered by National Malaria Control Programmes is needed, possibly contributing towards the point where elimination becomes a realistic target in the near future. Scientists involved in the programme will work as complementary groups/teams within the consortium; previous members of the MCDC known as 'MCDC investigators' will be encouraged to support this new programme. The collaboration within this consortium will be a South-North, South-South and research multi-disciplinary including basic, qualitative and quantitative research. It will benefit from the diverse, established range of expertise within the partner institutions. Skills in leadership, project development and management, fund raising, scientific writing, communication and advocacy will be prioritised during training. Development of the next generation of malaria researchers will take place in institutions where research and financial management is sound. The quality of research management in the participating institutions will be ensured by continuous monitoring and evaluation. Translation of relevant research findings into policy and practice will be achieved by early and continuous engagement with national and regional policy makers and other relevant stakeholders. Sustainability beyond the programme will be ensured by exploring additional national and international funding opportunities.