Africa Research Excellence Fund

The Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) was founded in 2015 to nurture, mentor, and support a community of post-doctoral health researchers across Africa to become research experts and leaders, capable of tackling African and global health challenges. Too many of Africa's best and brightest emerging health researchers are stifled by a lack of funding, skills training, and mentoring opportunities. They are forced to leave the continent in search of more lucrative jobs elsewhere, or abandon health research altogether. If Africa is to respond to its unique health challenges, it needs to invest in the highly talented pool of health researchers emerging across the continent.

AREF's transformative programmes provide African researchers with the skills, mentors, and funding they need to succeed in the most vulnerable stage of their careers:

Our Academy Programmes prepare African post-doctoral health researchers to compete for international research funding and lead their own research teams. These training workshops cover essential academic skills, such as grant writing, publishing, and leadership development.

Our Awards Programme provides vital research funding through Research Development Fellowships and Seed Funds, enabling African post-doctoral health researchers to undertake placements at host institutions in Europe or Africa. During their placements, they build collaborative networks and acquire vital research skills to embed within their home institutions in Africa upon their return.

Your donation could help us to significantly scale our programmes and support a greater number of African health researchers in the years to come. We would be extremely grateful for your support as we invest in Africa's emerging health leaders and work together to build a healthier, more prosperous continent in the future.