A screenshot of the 4th Winner of the Merck Best African Woman Researcher Award, Maria Nabaggala of the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI), Makerere University. Source: Merck Foundation
MERCK FOUNDATION AFRICA RESEARCH SUMMIT – MARS 2022 will be held in Dubai with THE AIM TO EMPOWER WOMEN AND YOUTH IN RESEARCH.
MARS 2022 will have scientific support from African Union Scientific, Technical and Research Commission (AU-STRC), Infectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Graduate School, Advanced Center for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), India and Merck Foundation.
The annual summit aims to contribute to building research capacity in the African research community, with special focus on “THE ROLE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN RESPONDING TO CANCER AND VACCINES DEVELOPMENT – TWO EMERGING CHALLENGES IN AFRICA”.
On other note the organizing committee will present the “BEST YOUNG AFRICAN RESEARCHER AWARD” and the “BEST AFRICAN WOMAN RESEARCHER AWARD” to recognize the outstanding contribution of African Female Scientists with the aim to promote women in research and advance their contribution to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
The annual Summit -MARS will open a discussion with Ministries of Health, Education, Information, Science and Technology and Gender from across Africa to define policies with the aim to empower women and youth in STEM and to address the vital role of research in the improvement and sustainable development of population’s health with specific emphasis on how to translate knowledge into action – the ‘know-do gap’ – to improve health and make an impact on society.
The summit will be a unique opportunity for the winners of MARS RESEARCH AWARDS to share their research output and findings. It is also an opportunity for networking and career development. The Summit will provide a platform where they will be able to discuss and enable a conducive environment for better research during the ministerial panel that will be conducted on the 15th of November, 2022.
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DETAILS
Abstracts are invited from final year African PhD students and young investigators involved in research related to either of the following topics:
Cancer (specially in women)
Vaccines Development
All applicants should be primarily based at African research Institutes and Universities, although collaboration within Africa as well as outside is encouraged. DEADLINE: 31ST July, 2022
A PhD can spark impact that extends far beyond academia. Meet CARTA graduate Andrew Tamale, whose journey demonstrates the multiplier effect of research capacity strengthening—from helping transform doctoral training and generating evidence that informed safer fish consumption practices, to strengthening One Health approaches for outbreak preparedness in Uganda and beyond.
Godwin Anywar, cohort 6, Makerere University, was appointed as a Subject Matter Expert on the Manuscript Technical Evaluators team of the Uganda Textbook Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association (UTANA) on August 31, 2026. In this role, Godwin will contribute to the qualitative, academic, and pedagogical assessment of manuscripts submitted under the Capacity Building for School Books Project (CB-SP). The four-year project, implemented jointly with the Department of Teacher Education and Training Development (TETD) of Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), aims to strengthen authorship and support the development of school books in Uganda’s education sector.
He was also featured in Uganda’s New Vision on July 26, 2026, in a special report on Uganda’s medicinal plants.
The Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (TERID) Hub continued its efforts to strengthen the capacity of early career researchers (ECRs) on an institutional level by holding a grant writing workshop from September 8 – 11, 2026, at Makerere University. The workshop, attended by 17 ECRs (10 men, 7 women), strengthened participating researchers’ capacity by equipping them with critical skills to secure competitive funding. The intensive sessions bridged the gap between innovative academic concepts and fundable proposals, focusing heavily on decoding complex funder criteria and structuring compelling narratives. Participants prioritized the CONNECT-VAX call, which closely aligns with the Hub’s core work, and formed two groups: one on vaccine research and development capacity, the other on public trust and demand for vaccines manufactured in Africa.
Through this call, the Hub engaged collaborators from West Africa (Sierra Leone) and East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania) in developing two of its grant applications. Individual concepts on leishmaniasis, leptospirosis, tuberculosis, and pharmaceutical inventory management were also advanced, bringing the total to eight proposals across four funding calls, including Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovation Fund (MAK-RIF 8), Wellcome, and WHO/TDR.
To date, the Hub’s grant writing effort has attracted over USD 700,000. The workshop reinforced the Hub’s commitment to mentoring early-career researchers and championing research in emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
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