Promoting Research Opportunities for Biochemists in Africa (PROBio-Africa) Fellowships

Applications are now open for the PROBio-Africa Fellowship. This fellowship aims to srengthen and foster cooperation of African molecular life scientists with colleagues worldwide.

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About PROBio-Africa Fellowships

Opportunity Details

The long-term objective of this program is to foster cooperation between the Federation of African Societies of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (FASBMB), the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB), and the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) that would benefit their members, trainees, and science.

Benefits of PROBio-Africa Fellowships

  • Awards will be provided to offset the costs of travel to/from and living expenses in the FEBS country of the host lab for the 1 – 6 month duration of the research visit.
  • Awards will be granted for a maximum of EUR 7,000 (approximately EUR 2,000 for travel costs, and EUR 5,000 for living expenses).
  • Travel costs will provide for economy airfares, incidental expenses directly related to the travel, local bus fares to and from the airport, and visa costs.

The awards will not cover health insurance, insurance against damages, or research expenses at the host laboratory.

Awards will not cover courses, symposia, meetings, or congresses.

PROBio-Africa Fellowships Requirements

Travel should commence within six months of the award being granted. It is expected that suitable matching funds will be available from the laboratories hosting the Ph.D. students/postdoctoral fellows or new investigators to cover their living expenses during longer stays.

Applicants for awards are required to make a full declaration of all other support received in connection with the proposed visit. An award cannot be used to supplement scientific visits otherwise fully covered.

Applicants must be residents of countries that are members of FASBMB and affiliated with FASBMB (via their corresponding national societies) and should be Ph.D. students, postdoctoral fellows, or researchers within five years of receiving the Ph.D. degree (exceptions, duly justified in the application, in case studies were started later, were delayed by maternity leave (18 months per child), prolonged illness or other personal reasons).

Within 3 months of completion of the fellowship, awardees should send a written scientific report (no longer than 2 pages) signed by the hosting supervisor and awardee, and a budget report (including copies of all receipts covered by the award). Successful awardees should indicate the support from the IUBMB/FEBS/FASBMB PROBio-Africa Fellowships programme in all outputs (conference presentations, publications, etc.).

Application Date and Process

The following documents should be provided in English:

  • A research proposal of no more than two pages, single-spaced, indicating clearly:
    • an outline of the project and a description of the type of experiments to be carried out,
    • the justification for visiting a particular laboratory to conduct the experiments rather than to perform them in the applicant’s laboratory,
    • the rationale for the required period requested.
  • A budget should be provided, in which all other sources of support, whether awarded or applied for, should be mentioned. All budgeting should be in EUR.
  • The applicant’s short curriculum vitae and a list of publications as per the provided template (including an official academic transcript from the institution for Ph.D. students).
  • The certificate of membership of one of the FASBMB Constituent Societies at the time of application.
  • Proof of proficiency in English (or the official language of the host laboratory) should be provided.
  • A letter of recommendation from the Ph.D. student’s supervisor, postdoctoral fellow’s mentor, or head of the department of the applicant’s institution, in which the benefits of the award are highlighted.
  • A letter of agreement from the head of the host laboratory (and head of the institution, if applicable), declaring the willingness to accept the applicant. The letter should indicate how the receiving institute will contribute to the costs of the visit (for example, consumables, bench fees, or additional living expenses).
  • A list of papers published by the hosting supervisor during the last five years and current projects in the laboratory should be provided.
  • A membership certificate of the supervisor showing affiliation with FEBS (via the corresponding national Society).

Application Deadline

01 May, 2024

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