The Advanced and Translational Training (ATT) Fellowships will enable hands-on and immersive training for 4-6 months. Fellowships will participate in one of three tracks: a) Advanced genomics for public health analysis, b) genomic diagnostic design, or, c) aspects around vaccine manufacturing. The purpose of this fellowship is to attract, train and expose post-graduate students and young professionals to cutting edge knowledge/know-how related to life science, innovation, public health or research. In addition to technical aspects, the ATT Fellowships will also include core leadership skills ranging from grants and financial management to team management and leadership. In total, we expect to host 60 ATT fellows. These fellows will also be eligible to apply for the competitive Young Professional Programme (YPP)(described later in this section).
Possible topic included in the ATT Fellowship:
Track I – Advanced genomics for public health:
- Advanced genomics hands-on training, adapting protocols to new pathogens
- Bioinformatics and data science hands-on analysis of outbreaks in Africa
- Advanced bioinformatics for clade identification and characterization (e.g. new strains, lineages and variants)
- Genomic algebra, large language models (LLMs) and error-correcting codes
Track II – Molecular and Genomics diagnostic design:
- Advanced molecular biology and diagnostics
- Genomics hands-on training introduction
- Biosafety and biosecurity
- Diagnostic manufacturing
- Quality management (ISO certification and accreditation)
Track III – Vaccine R&D and manufacturing:
- Advanced molecular biology
- Biosafety and biosecurity
- Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)
- Quality management (ISO certification and accreditation)
- Vaccine manufacturing
To ensure sustainability and success of the capacity building initiatives, the African STARS Fellowship Programme will include several mentoring and support mechanisms for the ATT, YPP, MBA and Exchange Fellows. We view a strong mentorship plan to be the core of a successful training program. Accordingly, each Fellow will have at least two co-mentors, one based in their host institution and the other based at the implementing partner institutions. The Training Committee will facilitate the matching of each Fellow with appropriate mentors. The host institution mentor will guide the Fellow in the initial selection of a project based on local needs. Based on the project and training site, the Fellow will then be paired with a co-mentor and a written research proposal will be developed in conjunction with the Fellow and both mentors. Although each Fellow will have a minimum of two mentors, Fellows will be encouraged to engage other, less formal mentors based on the expertise needed for their training. In addition, we will take advantage of virtual mentorship, as needed, by adding mentors from collaborating international institutions. That way, Fellows will benefit from hands-on mentoring, providing guidance and support from project inception to completion.
