IDM-Africa, an infectious-disease modelling network led by the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) at Makerere University, is recruiting fellows for its 2027 Fellowship Programme. It’s a 12-month mentored fellowship for early- and mid-career scientists in sub-Saharan Africa who want to build a policy-relevant infectious-disease model using their own data.
There are only 3 places: two in Uganda (English) and one in Mali (French). Applications close on 30 October 2026 at 17:00, so you have just two days left.
At a Glance
| Coordinator | Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Makerere University |
| Partners | USTTB (Bamako, Mali) and Amsterdam UMC / AIGHD |
| Places | 3: two at ACE-Uganda (Kampala, English) and one at ACE-Mali (Bamako, French) |
| Duration | 12 months: 1 month in person, then 11 months of online mentorship |
| Who can apply | Scientists at institutions in sub-Saharan Africa within the EDCTP Association |
| Deadline | 30 October 2026, 17:00 |
How the Fellowship Works
- Month 1: a full-time, in-person placement at ACE-Uganda (Kampala) or ACE-B (Bamako), with intensive mentor-guided project development.
- Months 2–12: online mentorship at about 50% of your time, with mentor sessions at least every two weeks, monthly progress reports and quarterly reviews.
By the end, fellows must:
- Complete a validated infectious-disease model with reproducible code (R, Python or similar)
- Submit a final project report
- Submit a manuscript as lead author to an open-access peer-reviewed journal
- Write a policy brief as lead author
- Present findings at a scientific conference and at IDM-Africa’s annual policy workshop
Benefits
- Structured mentorship from leading modellers, infectious-disease experts and policy specialists
- A one-month placement at an African Centre of Excellence in bioinformatics and data science
- A lead-author paper and policy brief from your own project
- Peer learning with other African modellers
- A certificate of completion
The official posting doesn’t specify stipends or travel funding, so ask IDI if you’re shortlisted.
Eligibility
- You’re affiliated with an institution in sub-Saharan Africa that belongs to the EDCTP Association.
- You’re resident in, or willing to relocate to, an eligible sub-Saharan African country for the placement.
- You have a master’s degree in a quantitative field (maths, physics, statistics, data science) or a health-related field, plus short-term training in infectious-disease modelling. PhD candidates and holders are also eligible.
- You have practical modelling experience, including leading a substantial part of a modelling project.
- You’re proficient in R, Python or MATLAB.
- You’re fluent in English (for the Uganda places) or French (for the Mali place).
- You’re available for the full placement and the 11 months of mentorship. Your home institution must commit to giving you at least 50% protected time.
- Not eligible: staff of the partner institutions (IDI/Makerere University and ACE-B/USTTB).
Documents (One PDF)
- CV
- Certified academic certificates and transcripts
- A scan of your national ID or passport
- Two recommendation letters
- A career goals statement
- Your host-site preference and reasons
- A proposed modelling project, a policy implications statement and a description of your data
- A commitment letter from your home institution guaranteeing at least 50% protected time
How to Apply
- Go to the IDI recruitment portal and open the IDM-Africa Fellow posting (link below).
- Create an account or log in.
- Upload your documents as one PDF.
- Submit before 17:00 on 30 October 2026.
Official IDM-Africa Fellow posting (IDI Makerere)
Technical help: [email protected]
