sub-Saharan Africa Health Research and Innovation Fellowship Program (SAHRI Fellowship Program)

The SAHRI Fellowship Program is a groundbreaking 3-year training program designed to empower 12 talented mid-career biomedical and clinical researchers from sub-Saharan Africa (sSA) to become leaders in biomedical innovation and clinical research.
The SAHARI Fellowship Program is structured around four key pillars:
1. Develop future leaders in biomedical innovation and clinical research
Fellows are equipped to lead innovation and entrepreneurship, focusing on the development of life-saving vaccines and medicines targeting prevalent infectious diseases, including neglected, emerging, and re-emerging infections.
2. Enhance Research and Development (R&D) capacities
Participants undertake a robust academic trajectory, including the 60 ECTS Master-after-Master in Tropical Medicine (MTM) at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp (Belgium), the Systems Thinking in Biotech Development course at the Catholic University of Leuven (KULeuven, Belgium), and hands-on training at BioNTech facilities in Germany, South Africa, and Rwanda, to gain practical experience across the drug and vaccine development pipeline.
3. Foster mentorship and collaborative networks
A structured mentorship program pairs fellows with senior mentors from leading African research institutions, including the East African Consortium for Clinical Research (EACCR) present in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda and the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN) in Burkina Faso, fostering South-South and North-South collaborations.
4. Promote knowledge and skills transfer
A structured ‘return-home’ phase enables fellows to apply their acquired expertise in local settings, driving local research, innovation and development while fostering sustainable impact within their home institutions and communities.
The fellowship’s 3-year lifecycle includes a 24-month flexible and modular academic training, a 6-month research placement at leading African institutions contributing to the MTM thesis, and a 6-month industry internship with BioNTech. The final 12-month return-home phase represents a pivotal opportunity for fellows to translate their knowledge into action, advancing local health solutions and building long-term global partnerships.