Are you an aspiring innovator born in or based in Africa, eager to bridge the divide between research and industry?
Do you want to contribute to the creation of meaningful and fulfilling employment opportunities across the continent? If so, the African Stars Young Professional Programme (YPP) 2025 invites you to apply.
About the Fellowship
The YPP is aimed at nurturing future leaders from Africa and the diaspora through a highly competitive fellowship experience focused on innovation and entrepreneurship.
Selected participants will engage in a 12-month programme designed to enhance their skills and career prospects within leading biotechnology innovation hubs in South Africa and Senegal, as well as within commercial companies and innovation centers.
The YPP comprises four exciting tracks:
a) Research Management
b) Innovation and Entrepreneurship
c) Infectious Diseases R&D for Diagnostics
d) Innovations to Enhance Patient Outcomes in Africa
This comprehensive fellowship experience will consist of:
Core Training: A 6-week intensive leadership, research management, public health, and research training at the Stellenbosch Business School, CERI, and/or IPD.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training: A further 6-week program at LaunchLab/BIO-CERI and/or IPD.
International Rotation: An opportunity for up to 4 months at a placement institution, focusing on exchanges at commercial, industrial, and advanced R&D institutions such as Illumina, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Roche, and Inqaba Biotech. The Africa CDC, IPD, and CERI will assist in identifying suitable hosting organizations through their extensive partnerships in the industry.
Outcome-Focused Fellowship: The remainder of the programme will be hosted at CERI or IPD, centered on producing a tangible outcome such as a product, patent, research paper, research grant, or job offer. This outcome will be presented to a Programme Committee or mentors, aiming to facilitate job opportunities or catalyst grants.
Benefits of Participation
Beyond technical expertise, the YPP training will emphasize the development of core skills that are essential for research careers.
This includes critical thinking, problem-solving, scientific writing, grantsmanship, effective communication, and project management.
By combining technical proficiency with transferable skills, the programme will empower fellows to pursue independent research and significantly impact their home countries in preventing future pandemics.
To ensure the sustainability and success of this capacity-building initiative, the African STARS Fellowship Programme will incorporate a strong mentoring framework.
Each fellow will be paired with at least two co-mentors; one embedded within their host institution and another from an implementing partner institution.
This mentorship plan, facilitated by the Training Committee, will support fellows through project selection to completion, ensuring aligned guidance with local needs.
Additionally, fellows will have the opportunity to engage with further, less formal mentors based on their specific training requirements, including access to virtual mentorship from international institutions.
How to Apply
The African Stars Young Professional Programme 2025 is a unique opportunity for dynamic entrepreneurs and innovators to shape Africa’s future.
Apply today to embark on a journey that leads to meaningful impact and career advancement!
Application Deadline: 31 March 2025
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