AFRICURE Developmental Award

The CFAR Africure Program is funded by the NIH/NIAID and administered through the Johns Hopkins University CFAR and the Inter-CFAR Sub-Saharan Africa Working Group (IC-SSA-WG). 

The AFRICURE program will award five grants of $200,000 for one year, plus applicable indirect costs. This program intends to attract highly talented early- and mid-career stage investigators from sub-Saharan Africa to address critical questions related to HIV cure research. Recipients of the awards will be mentored by and collaborate with established HIV investigators across CFARs and affiliated institutions in Africa, with the goal of having a transformational impact on the careers of African investigators, their institutions, and the entire HIV cure enterprise. 

Africure projects are single Principal Investigator (PI) awards. 

CFAR Africure awards are funded for a one-year period. 

Funds Available

Funding for the CFAR Africure Program is provided by the US National Institutes of Health as a supplement to the Johns Hopkins University CFAR (P30AI094189). Africure awards are contingent on the availability of funds from these sources. 

Applicants may request up to $200,000 for one year, plus applicable indirect costs (8%). 

Funding may be used for salaries, technical support, laboratory supplies, equipment, and for research- or training-related activities including but not limited to enrollment in training classes or workshops, travel to the CFAR Mentor’s institution, and travel to the research field site. 

Requests for no-cost extensions will be discussed on an individual basis and are not guaranteed. 

Important Dates:

  • Concept Proposal due: December 2, 2024
  • Notification of Outcome: December 20, 2024
  • Invited Applications due: February 10, 2025
  • Notification of Outcome: March 14, 2025
  • Project Period: Estimated April 1, 2025 – March 7, 2026. Time frame may shift if regulatory approvals are delayed. 

Eligibility

Scholar eligibility 

All scholars will meet the following criteria: 

  • National or permanent resident of a sub-Saharan African country;  
  • Early-stage or mid-career scientists who have received their doctoral degree within the last 15 years in disciplines such as (but not limited to) Medicine, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Immunology, Virology, Pharmacology, Genomics/Genetics, Structural Biology, Chemistry/Biochemistry, Physiology, Biophysics, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Biotechnology, Behavioral and Social Sciences, Oncology, Metabolism, Cardiovascular, Neurology, Public Health, Health Services Research, Epidemiology, Pathology, Bioengineering, Operations Research, and Implementation Science; 
  • Committed to professional development; 
  • Appointment as faculty or equivalent at an institution or organization in sub-Saharan Africa. Grants will not be transferable to institutions outside of sub-Saharan Africa. 
  • Post-doctoral fellows are eligible to apply if they have a faculty appointment in place at the time the CFAR Africure project funding begins (anticipated April 1, 2025). A letter from the applicant’s department chair, verifying their faculty position and start date, must be included in the application package. 
  • Strong interest in HIV cure research and demonstrated skills, knowledge, and potential necessary to carry out the proposed research with appropriate support and mentorship.  

 

 

Mentor eligibility 

Each applicant will be required to have two mentors; a primary mentor who is an established investigator at an institution affiliated with an NIH-funded CFAR who has a history of NIH funding in HIV cure-related research, and a local mentor at an institution in the applicant’s country with strong mentorship experience and a commitment to participating for the duration of the program.  

Applicants who would like assistance in identifying an eligible CFAR mentor may contact Anne Efron, the JHU CFAR Program Administrator (aefron1@jhmi.edu). We encourage applicants to review the list of currently funded CFARs. Each CFAR has a Developmental Core that is tasked with helping to build the HIV research careers of junior faculty at their institution. As a result, Developmental Core staff are familiar with the senior faculty at their institution and may be able to help you locate an appropriate mentor.