Africa Research Excellence Fund

Research Development Fellowships 2023/24

Application Form Parts B-F

Instructions:
Before starting this form, please read 1. Scheme Information and 2. Guidance on Completing the
Application Forms.
Complete this form using Arial 10 font.
Write in the white spaces and not in block-colour spaces.
Shorten or lengthen the boxes if they are too big, or small.
Add additional rows as required.
Keep within the maximum word count as indicated on each question.
Your application will not be eligible if the form is not completed properly or if the accompanying
documents are not complete.

Submit all application documents no later than

13.00 hours GMT on 14 September 2023

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

PART B. RESEARCH EXPERIENCE and ACHIEVEMENTS
Name (Title, Given Name /Surname) Employing Institution

1. Employment
a. Current employment

Job Title

Describe your roles in research, teaching, administration, medicine or other areas. Indicate the
% of your Full Time Employment (FTE) devoted to each major role. (Total 50 words).

Role % FTE Description

Research

Teaching

Administration

Medicine

Other (Specify)

b. Previous employment. Most recent first.

Position Institution Start date End date Main duties and

(MM/YYYY) (MM/YYYY) achievements

2. Academic qualifications
a. PhD or equivalent research degree. Only complete if you are an applicant with a PhD or
equivalent postgraduate degree.

Degree title, e.g., PhD, Awarding Institution Registration Completion

DPhil (YYYY) (MM/YYYY)

Thesis title

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b. Clinical and higher qualifications. Only complete if you are an applicant with clinical
qualifications.

Medical Degree title, e.g., Awarding Body Registration Completion

MBBS (YYYY) (MM/YYYY)

Specialist Clinical Awarding Body Registration Completion

Qualification or Masters (YYYY) (MM/YYYY)
degree

Title of Masters’ thesis

c. Other university degrees / diplomas. Most recent first.

Degree and Class of Degree Awarding Institution Registration Completion

(indicate Honours) (Year) (MM/YYYY)

d. Academic prizes and distinctions. University level and above.

Prize Institution Year (YYYY)

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e. Other completed research-relevant specialist/technical training
List other significant training relevant to your development as a researcher that you successfully
completed, e.g., short courses and training attachments.

Course name and date Institution delivering Training outcome

completed (MM/YYYY) the course / attachment

3. Research Experience

a. Summary of research experience. Max 200 words.

b. Why do you consider yourself to be an early career researcher? Max 100 words.

c. Selected research publications and other significant research outputs

You should select your best outputs: academic publications and reports for research-users, such as
policymakers, communication/engagement events etc. Please keep to a maximum of 8 references.

Outputs including publications, communications, Your contribution to the work

engagement events. For publications, please provide the leading to the output and in creating
references, with your name in bold text. the output

1.

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 2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

d. List Grants or Fellowships you have applied for in the last two years. Add more lines as
required.

Name of Scheme / Granting Amount Status of your application (e.g.,

Programme agency / requested or awaiting outcome, shortlisted,
Funder awarded (GBP) awarded, rejected)

e. List any Grants or Fellowships you have been awarded greater than or equal to £5,000. Add
more lines as required.

Name of Scheme / Granting Amount Status of your grant (e.g., not

Programme agency / requested or started, in progress, completed)
Funder awarded (GBP)

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PART C: CAREER VISION AND STRATEGY
4. Describe your career vision and personal development strategy. Max 250 words.

5. Describe your research focus and your research niche referring to your research
experience and career development plans and the potential impact on health in Africa.
Max 150 words.

6. Please give details of any gaps in your career path to date. Max 100 words

PART D: FELLOWSHIP
7. Fellowship Title

A simple title that indicates the purpose of your Fellowship. Max 25 words.

8. Summary of the Fellowship Plan

Summarise your Plan for the Fellowship in a way that non-scientists can easily understand
(“lay summary”). Max 300 words. Include any references in box 20.

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9. Fellowship Plan
a. Preparatory Period before the Placement

Start date of End date of No of months.

Preparatory Preparatory 3 months max
period period

Objectives for the 1.

Preparatory Period 2.
3.

Activity Start to End Activities to achieve Preparatory Objectives Add rows as required
dates

.. to ..

.. to ..

.. to ..

.. to ..

b. Placement at the Host Organisation

Start date of End date of No. of

Placement Placement Placement
period period months. 9
months max.

Objectives for the 1.

Placement Period  2.
3.
4.
5.

Activity Start to End Activities to achieve objectives Add rows as required

dates

.. to .. 1.

.. to .. 2.

.. to .. 3.

.. to .. 4.

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 .. to .. 5.

.. to .. 6.

.. to .. 7.

.. to .. 8.

.. to .. 9.

.. to .. 10.

c. Follow-up period immediately after the placement

Start date of End date of Follow-up No. of

Follow-up period  (the end date weeks (max
period  of your fellowship) 3 months)

Objectives for this 1.

period  2.
3.

Activity Start to End Activities to achieve objectives Add rows as required

dates 

.. to ..

.. to ..

.. to ..

What % FTE (up to 50%) of the Follow-up period will you %

spend on the postplacement activities?

10. Research Training Project Abstract

Provide an abstract including aim, methodology and expected outcomes for the small project
that you will undertake during the fellowship. Max 250 words.

Aim:

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 Methodology:

Expected Outcomes:

11. Ethical Considerations

If your fellowship will involve the use of animals or samples or data from humans, please
provide information on the ethical approval in place and/or required for your project. This
includes permission for shipping samples or data sharing. Max 100 words.

12. Short courses in advanced research methods/technologies and researcher-development

training.

Course 1

Hosting Organisation

Location and date

URL if available

What methods / techniques will you learn and how will you use those new skills later?

Course 2

Hosting Organisation

Location and date

URL if available

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 What methods / techniques will you learn and how will you use those new skills later?

Course 3

Hosting Organisation

Location and date

URL if available

What methods / techniques will you learn and how will you use those new skills later?

13. Other specific training

If you intend to undertake other specific training during the Fellowship, including on-the-job training,
please describe it here and explain why it is important.

14. Conference Attendance

The AREF Fellowship will support your participation in ONE international research conference /
workshop

Conference title

Location and date

URL if available

Why have you selected

this particular
conference?

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15. Knowledge and Skills Transfer

a. How will you transfer your new knowledge and skills to your EO or more widely within
Africa? Maximum 150 words.

b. How will the scientific techniques be adopted in your EO, be clear on whether the
technology is in place at your EO or the plan to bring the technology to your EO?
Maximum 100 words.

16. Sponsorship and mentoring

a. Employing Organisation (EO)

Name of EO Institutional
Director

Name of your EO Academic

Sponsor(s).

Sponsor’s relationship to
you (e.g., your immediate
boss, head of department)

How will your EO Academic Sponsor(s) will assist you? Max 50 words.

b. Host Organisation (HO)

Name of Host
Organisation

Name of HO
Institutional Director

Name of your HO
Academic Sponsor(s)

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Explain why you have chosen this organisation as your host including why it is a Centre of
Excellence in your research area. Max 100 words

How will your HO Academic Sponsor(s) assist you? Max 50 words.

c. Career Mentor

Name of significant Email

specialist or Career Mentor address

How your Specialist or Career Mentor will assist you? Max 50 words.

PART E: FUTURE RESEARCH

17. Research Question. Max 30 words.

18. Justification of the Question. Max 300 words.

19. Identify an appropriate Funder for the research question and explain why they are
appropriate. Max 80 words.

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20. Publication references
A maximum of 12 references.

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 PART F: 21 Financial request: Summarise and justify your main expenditure categories. Please read the guidance information
which covers allowable and non-allowable costs. - including the maximum allowable costs. Failure to follow the guidance
correctly may result in your application being deemed ineligible for consideration

Total Amount
Cost Item Cost Item (not all these maybe Justification: Please explain how the cost was calculated
Requested
number applicable to your Fellowship) and why it is necessary to the Fellowship
(£GBP)

A. Preparatory period: Subtotal Normally paid to EO unless otherwise specified

Pre-shipment preparation of samples

Prep-1
and data

Prep-2 Shipment of samples and data

Purchase of travel and medical

Prep-3
insurance and travel vaccinations

Visa fee and cost of obtaining the visa,

Prep-4
e.g., travel

Prep-5 Other specified costs

Indirect costs. For African institutions Maximum of 10% of preparatory period costs
Prep-6
only.

B. Placement period: Subtotal Normally paid to HO unless otherwise specified

Place-1 Accommodation during placement

Subsistence during placement (unit =

Place-2
month)

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Place-3 Settling-in allowance (£250 max)

Fellow's travel within host organisation

Place-4
country

Place-5 Return travel home

Place-6 Training consumables

Short courses in advanced methods

Place-7
and researcher-development training

Place-8 International conference

Place-9 Other specified costs

Indirect costs. For African institutions Maximum of 10% of placement period costs
Place-10
only

C. Follow-up period: Subtotal Normally paid to EO unless otherwise specified

Follow-Up-1 Salary-related costs

Follow-Up-2 Research-related costs

Follow-Up-3 Other specified costs

Indirect costs For African institutions Maximum of 10% of follow-up period costs
Follow-Up-4
only

TOTAL

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