Global collaborative action for strengthening the Regional Networks of Excellence and Epidemic Preparedness Consortia

Scope

Proposals must address three of the following areas:

1) Expertise

• Strengthening expertise on clinical research in all disease areas in the scope of the Global Health EDCTP3. Proposals aiming to strengthen expertise on HIV/AIDS clinical research are encouraged to align with activities supported by PEPFAR across SSA;
• Strengthening expertise and preparedness for research response to emerging and re-emerging diseases with epidemic potential. Proposals aiming to strengthen expertise and preparedness for research response to emerging and re-emerging diseases with epidemic potential are encouraged to align with activities supported by other funders;
• Supporting National Public Health Institutes in collaboration with Team Europe Initiative "Supporting Public Health Institutes in Africa" ^[1]. Strengthening/establishment, in conjunction with African CDC, of at least one ICH-GCP-compliant clinical trial site (compliant with WHO Guidance for Best Practices for Clinical Trials ^[2]) conducted and managed by appropriately qualified staff within the network;
• Pool of interdisciplinary experts organised in networks including at least one NPHI, able to provide accelerated evidence on infectious diseases;
• Training of a specified number of clinical research associates, certified to monitor clinical trials and can be contracted by the Global Health EDCTP3, other funders or clinical trial sponsors to monitor the progress and quality of clinical trials ;
• Strengthening the ethics, regulatory, and pharmacovigilance capacities.

2) Training, mentorship and support to senior researchers

• Develop a comprehensive training and mentorship plan to support the career development of talented individuals through dedicated courses, short term staff exchange programmes, and active rotation process among sites for mentors/trainers and trainees;
• Support a specified number of senior researchers to conduct a research project leveraging the infrastructure, network and expertise supported through this call and EDCTP2 funding.

3) Partnerships

• Enhance South-South and North-South collaboration, and strengthen partnership with National Public Health Institutes and regional public health bodies;
• Propose a sustainability plan and networks that can be pivoted to respond to outbreaks within the respective sub-regions;
• Provide a coordination function to align with Africa CDC and other funders’ strategies and activities to strengthen the African clinical trial ecosystem.

4) Infrastructure

• Upgrade at least one additional clinical laboratory, accredited to the GCLP standards;
• Develop/upgrade or expand a functioning data management service, which can be used by the network or contracted by external clinical trial sponsors.

Proposals submitted against this topic are expected to leverage financial and/or in-kind contribution from contributing partners. Proposals should define the activities of their project in its entirety, including details of the component(s) for which Global Health EDCTP3 JU funding is requested and the component(s) that are to be financed by contributing partners.

Proposals should include consortia with strong representation from institutions and researchers across sub- Saharan African countries, demonstrating a broad regional distribution in the SSA region, including involvement of new institutions and Franco/Lusophone countries, and considering previous EDCTP 1 and 2 investments and current EDCTP3 call. Applicants are also reminded of the expectation of reaching out to organisations in countries with high burden of disease with relatively lower research capacities, for which appropriate funding allocations should be proposed. Collaboration with other international research groups with relevant experience and participation in networking and joint activities, as relevant, is strongly encouraged.

FAIR data principles and open access of publications are required in line with the Model Grant Agreement ^[3] when relevant.

^[1] Public Health Capacity - Africa | Capacity4dev

^[2] Guidance for best practices for clinical trials (who.int)

^[3] general-mga_horizon-euratom_en.pdf (europa.eu)

Expected impact

The actions funded under this topic should contribute to increased international cooperation among researchers and funders, catalyse research synergies, and leverage resources and investments in order to achieve the strengthening of the Regional Networks of Excellence and Epidemic Preparedness Consortia. Proposals are expected to leverage and include the effective in-kind and/or financial contribution of contributing partners, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the impact of therelated research activities.

Applicant consortium

The contributions from contributing partners should correspond to the amounts they have committed in the letter of endorsement requesting to become a contributing partner (Article 9 Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085). Their contributions can consist of financial contributions and/or in-kind contributions. Applicant contributing partners must submit the endorsement letter for approval by the Global Health EDCTP3 Governing Board before the deadline for submission of the second-stage applications. It is recommended that the draft letter is submitted to the Global Health EDCTP3 Programme Office sufficiently ahead of deadline for submission of proposals to allow the review^[1].

In case of in-kind contribution (even combined with financial contribution), contributing partners become a part of the applicant consortium and participate in the project, as appropriate i.e. as beneficiaries orAffiliated entities in the meaning of Article 8 of the Horizon Europe model grant agreement.

^[1] The Global Health Programme Office will ask the applicant contributing partner to revise the letter in case it significantly departs from the template letter published on the Global Health EDCTP3 JU website or is missing any compulsory elements. The preliminary assessment by the Programme Office does not consider the merits of the application. The final decision as to acceptance or rejection of a new contributing partner rests with the Global Health EDCTP3 JU Governing Board