Announcing the 2023 Professor Sir Tumani Corrah Prize for Excellence

The Tumani Corrah Prize

The Prize recognizes excellence in research, personal development or service that is attributable in large part to participation in an AREF programme. The Prize is intended to recognise the achievements of AREF alumni who have made an impact in their field and demonstrated their potential to be research leaders as a result of their participation in AREF programmes. 

The prize fund was a result of a fund-raising activity in honour of Professor Corrah KBE, recognising his immense contribution as a mentor and benefactor to many aspiring clinicians and scientists in Africa.

Prize winners are expected to attend an online awards ceremony towards the end of 2023 where they will be presented with their award.

The Funding

£4,000 will be awarded to the winner and £1,000 for runner up, payable to their institution, together with a certificate. Winners will be able to use the prize money flexibly to support their research and their professional research career development.

Who can apply

Each year the Prize is open to a different cohort of alumni based on the year they completed their AREF programme. The 2023 competition is open for applications to alumni who completed an AREF programme (Research Development Fellowship or Grant Writing Programme) in 2018. You must have an appointment at an African institution and undertake the majority of your work there to be eligible for the award.

If you are in doubt about your eligibility or questions about any aspects of the applications process please contact AREF at Fellowships.AREF@aref-africa.org.uk.

Application process

Guidance for applicants and a link to the online applications form will be emailed to eligible applicants.

Deadline

The closing date for applications is 11 July 2023 1pm (13:00) GMT. No late or incomplete applications will be accepted.

2022 Winners                       

Dr Pauline Bakibinga is a an AREF 2016 GrantWriting Participant who was one of the Prize Winners in 2022. Dr Bakibinga was awarded the prize to implement a mentorship project on scientific writing and publication for young researchers. Unfortunately, Dr. Bakibinga passed away shortly after the prize winners were announced. Her prize award was received by her institution the African Population and Health Research Centre who are also implementing Dr. Bakibinga’s project in her memory.

Professor Salome Tumishang Maswime is the other winner of the 2023 Tumani Corrah Prize for Excellence. She was awarded the prize to support university students in South Africa with Global Surgery and research frameworks knowledge, she will also include a component of Grant Writing. Professor Maswime is a Professor and Head of the Global Surgery Division at the University of Cape Town.

Africa Research Excellence Fund

The Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) was founded by Professor Sir Tumani Corrah KBE in 2015.

Professor Corrah founded AREF to support the careers of the new generation of African researchers, giving them the stepping stones needed to become outstanding research leaders in their respective fields, ensuring that talent is retained in Africa to address the continent’s unique health research needs.

AREF’s vision is of a growing cohort of African researchers working in Africa, who lead and partner world-class research that benefits patients, populations, policy makers and practitioners of the region.