Call for applications! TDR Clinical Research Leadership (CRL) fellowship programme

Overview

The Clinical Research Leadership (CRL) fellowship programme strengthens the capacity of individuals, institutions, and societies in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) to conduct impactful research addressing the following global health challenges:

• Epidemics and outbreaks
• Control and elimination of diseases of poverty
• Climate change’s impact on health
• Resistance to treatment and control agents

The CRL fellowship programme, launched by TDR in 2023, is based on four pillars:

• Pillar 1: Improved clinical research skills obtained through flexible placement of fellows at Training Partner Organizations (TPOs).
• Pillar 2: Strong clinical research leadership skills acquired through customized learning, coaching and
• leadership experience at the home institution, geared to each fellow’s needs and interests.
• Pillar 3: Enhanced gender equity promoted through active measures to ensure fair participation of women, men and people who do not fit into these binary gender identities.
• Pillar 4: Strengthened institutional capacity by maximizing the fellow’s contribution on re-entry.

CRL fellowship programme 2025

This new fellowship programme will maximize the value of the clinical research skills obtained through the placement at a TPO by focusing on research leadership, with fellows using their clinical research skills, in conjunction with competencies and capabilities to effectively communicate with, and support, members of a multidisciplinary team. Every effort will be made to support the participation of women, notably in building on learnings from former fellows and institutional development plan will enable the fellows to maximize their contribution to strengthening their institution on re-entry and develop and manage a research team to undertake a research study. Fellowships are anticipated to greatly contribute to the advancement of top and promising researchers, enhancing their impact on the improvement of research institutions in LMICs, including the facilitation of peer training.

In the first and second round which took place in 2023 and 2024, 20 fellows (7 men, 13 women) and 16 fellows (8 men, 8 women) were selected for placement at thirteen TPOs. TDR invites applicants interested in a CRL fellowship programme to carefully read the eligibility criteria for TDR’s call for applications and apply to the third round of applications.

TDR will fund fellows employed by academic and research institutions in any low- and middle-income country across the globe (not limited to those in sub-Saharan Africa) to be placed in pharmaceutical companies, product development partnerships (PDPs) and academic-affiliated research organizations, in Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Latin America, to train and develop new research skills on infectious diseases.

Successful applicants are placed from 6 to 12 months in TPOs and receive a reintegration plan for 12 months at their home institutions. Fellowship duration will be based on the proposed targeted training offered by each TPO.

Eligibility

In order to be considered eligible for the call, the applicant should:

• be a national of, and resident in, an LMIC.
• be an MD or postgraduate with a PhD or master’s degree in clinical trial, pharmacy or other related field, with proof of experience of clinical research and or clinical trial related activities in the scope of TDR.
• have been a researcher or clinical research staff member employed for the last 24 months in an institution with a registered legal entity in an LMIC conducting clinical research activities in poverty-related infectious diseases, emerging infection diseases, pandemic preparedness, antimicrobial resistance and NTDs.

Desirable: Experience in clinical trials

Selection process

The process includes the following steps:

• Applications submitted before the deadline undergo an initial screening by the TDR secretariat, based on the eligibility criteria .
• Eligible applications will be forwarded to participating TPOs.
• TPOs select up to five shortlisted candidates for interview.
• Interviews are held between the home institution, the candidate and the TPO, in the presence of TDR.
• TPOs rank candidates based on interviews.
• The final matching process of candidates and TPOs is conducted by TDR.
• Once the matching process is complete, home institutions, fellows and TPOs are informed of the final match, following which contractual arrangements begin.

Placements

TPOs may offer placements in the following areas: design and conduct of clinical trials, including operational planning, management and evaluation; clinical development of vaccines, including associated epidemiological studies; assessment of drug development programmes; diagnostics; biostatistics; data management and pharmacovigilance.

Deadline for submission of applications: Applications must be submitted by  15 September 2025, 13:00 (CET).