Posted on: Thu 01-02-2024

Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) 4th Biannual Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programmed

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research Foundation (NIMR Foundation) is a private not-for-profit organization established by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in February 2020 to help to develop and administer those activities that assist and supplement the mission and mandate of NIMR, the apex medical research organization charged with the responsibility to conduct research into diseases and conditions of public health importance in Nigeria. The Foundation works collaboratively with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) to build capacity for healthcare and medical research in Nigeria through a mix of academic scholarship awards and opportunities for hands-on, mentored capacity development for research.

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) with pilot funding from Welcome Trust in 2019 conducted the maiden Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programme (GMTP) for a cohort of 30 early career researchers. To build on successes recorded from the maiden edition of the training program and following the establishment of the NIMR Foundation in 2020 and the hugely positive outcomes recorded from the 2nd and 3rd editions of the training program held in 2022 and 2023 respectively, the NIMR Foundation in collaboration with Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (the Institute) hereby calls for applications from early career researchers from across Nigeria for the 4th Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Program.

PROGRAMME AIM

To build an adequate and sustainable network of committed early career investigators with an inter-disciplinary and multi-institutional collaborative approach and proficiency in developing high-quality, competitive grant writing and capacity for healthcare research and development in Nigeria.

WHAT THE PROGRAMME WILL COVER:

• Understanding of health services research methods
• Formulation of research questions and hypotheses
• Selection of appropriate statistical tools for data analysis
• Ethics and Ethics Permission in Research
• How to search and identify targeted funding agencies and understand funders’ requirements
• Writing compelling grant proposals
• Identification of the technicalities of the peer review process and demonstration using a practice peer review process
• Improving proficiency in training and communication skills including writing plain language summaries
• Training on proficiency in the facilitation of micro-teaching sessions on mentorship.
• Principles of establishing and managing partnerships and collaborations.

FORMAT OF PROGRAMME

Location and Dates: This will be a 21-day residential workshop which will be held at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research located at 6, Edmund Crescent Yaba, Lagos.

Target audience: The training targets early and mid-career researchers who would like to develop their capacity for Grantsmanship and Mentorship.

Participants number: A total of 30 participants will be selected for the training.

Curriculum: The workshop will be guided by the National Grantsmanship and Mentorship Training Programmed Curriculum developed by the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research. For the 21 days, the successful candidates will be tutored through hands-on practical sessions on successful grant proposal writing. The teaching sessions will adopt a blended learning approach with pre-course online self-directed reading and onsite teaching and learning methods including didactic lectures, role-plays, group discussions, micro-teaching sessions, online learning/webinars, peer-review simulation sessions, independent study time, home-work and term papers. Each training day will comprise teaching sessions in the morning, practical sessions in the afternoon, and group work and networking sessions in the late afternoon/ evening.

Faculty: The grantsmanship and mentorship training program will be facilitated by a mix of local and international researchers who are well-published, have experience serving or managing grant review panels, and won grants from local and international funding organizations.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?  

To be eligible, you need to provide evidence that:

• You are a citizen of Nigeria (from any of the six geopolitical zones).
• You are an early career investigator (junior and mid-level researcher) and you have completed your research education (either of the below)
• you have been awarded a research doctorate (PhD/DPhil/MD) from a recognized academic institution normally within the past 6 years
• you have a medical/clinical qualification PLUS research-relevant Master’s degree, both awarded normally within the previous 6 years
• You are currently employed in Nigeria by a recognized university or research institution to develop and conduct any type of health care research.
• You have limited or no experience in proposal development and grant writing.
• You have not won any significant local or international research grants.
• You can commit to stepping down the training at your local institution within 3 months after the training.
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this training opportunity.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The application should include the following documents:

• A two-page bio-sketch (NIH format) with a minimum of 5 publications.
• A one-page structured research concept note including title, introduction/objectives, methods, and budget (Times New Roman, Size 12, Spacing 1.15).
• Motivation letter of not more than 500 words (Times New Roman, Size 12, Spacing 1.15).
• A Letter of recommendation/Support from the Dean/Provost of the Faculty/College indicating;
• Endorsement to attend the workshop
• How the training will benefit the researcher/investigator
• Commitment that the applicant will be available for 21 days without a break
• Support for the applicant to step down the training within his/her institution on completing the training workshop.
• Successful applicants will be required to provide evidence of completion of the Ethics Course (CITI) before the commencement of the workshop.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To participate in the grantsmanship and mentorship program, kindly follow these steps:

• Complete and submit the online application at http://tinyurl.com/4thedition2024
• Provide the required documents including the following:
• Short motivation essay of not more than 500 words
• One-page research proposal
• Short bio sketch (maximum of 2 pages)
• A letter of recommendation/support from the Provost/Dean of College/Faculty
• Please note that the application closes on Sunday, 3rd March 2024 11:59 PM WAT

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