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The official launch of the Research and Academic Mobility for Drug Discovery in Africa (RAMDDA) project marked an important milestone in advancing postgraduate training, scientific research, and institutional collaboration across Africa.

Hosted by the University of Botswana on 13 May 2026, the launch brought together representatives from partner universities, government institutions, the European Union, researchers, academic staff, and postgraduate students to celebrate the beginning of a transformative initiative focused on strengthening research capacity in drug discovery and related disciplines.

Funded by the European Union under the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme, RAMDDA aims to strengthen academic mobility, postgraduate training, collaborative research, and institutional capacity in advanced areas of drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, natural products research, computational chemistry, materials chemistry, and related fields. The project brings together a consortium of leading institutions from Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, and Ireland.

The project is coordinated by the University of Botswana and involves Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Addis Ababa University (AAU), Adama Science and Technology University (ASTU), University of Ghana (UG), University of the Free State (UFS), and University College Cork (UCC) as the European technical partner.

Strengthening Research Capacity Across Africa

RAMDDA was established to address critical gaps in advanced training and research capacity in drug discovery while promoting collaboration among African higher education institutions. Through student and staff mobility, joint supervision, shared research infrastructure, and collaborative projects, the programme seeks to develop a new generation of highly skilled African scientists capable of addressing major health challenges affecting the continent.

The project supports mobility opportunities for MSc and PhD students, research trainees, and academic staff. These exchanges will allow participants to access specialized facilities, advanced laboratory training, computational resources, and expertise available across the consortium institutions.

By facilitating cross-border research collaboration, RAMDDA aims to enhance scientific excellence, strengthen postgraduate education, and improve research outputs in areas directly relevant to antimicrobial, anticancer, and other drug discovery programmes.

Advancing Collaborative Research and Innovation

A key feature of RAMDDA is its emphasis on collaborative and interdisciplinary research. Researchers and students from partner institutions will work together on projects involving natural products, medicinal chemistry, computational modelling, bioactivity screening, materials chemistry, analytical sciences, and advanced drug design approaches.

The programme promotes the sharing of knowledge, facilities, and expertise among partner universities, creating opportunities for stronger research networks and sustainable scientific partnerships across the continent. This collaborative model is expected to increase research productivity, improve supervision quality, and generate impactful scientific outputs addressing African health priorities.

Supporting the Next Generation of African Scientists

One of the major goals of RAMDDA is to contribute to the development of highly trained researchers capable of driving scientific innovation and research-led development in Africa.

Through mobility scholarships, mentorship, joint supervision, and specialized training opportunities, the project will expose students and early-career researchers to diverse research environments and advanced scientific methodologies. These experiences are expected to strengthen technical skills, research independence, leadership capacity, and international competitiveness.

The programme also promotes the internationalization of postgraduate education while strengthening institutional capacity within participating African universities.

A Shared Vision for Sustainable Scientific Development

The launch event highlighted the importance of partnerships in building sustainable research ecosystems. Speakers emphasized that strengthening African scientific capacity requires long-term collaboration, investment in postgraduate training, improved research infrastructure, and increased opportunities for mobility and knowledge exchange.

RAMDDA contributes directly to these objectives by creating a platform where institutions can work collectively to address scientific challenges while building strong academic and research networks across the continent.

The project also aligns with broader continental and international goals related to research excellence, innovation, higher education development, and health research capacity strengthening. Through strategic partnerships and collaborative training initiatives, RAMDDA seeks to contribute to Africa’s growing role in global scientific research and innovation.

Looking Ahead

Following its successful launch, RAMDDA has already begun implementing scholarship calls, mobility programmes, and collaborative research activities across partner institutions. Over the coming years, the project will support postgraduate training, staff exchanges, joint research initiatives, capacity-building activities, workshops, and scientific dissemination events.

As the programme progresses, RAMDDA is expected to make significant contributions to strengthening drug discovery research, advancing postgraduate education, promoting scientific collaboration, and developing sustainable research capacity across Africa.

By connecting researchers, institutions, and future scientific leaders, RAMDDA is helping build a stronger and more interconnected African research community dedicated to addressing some of the continent’s most pressing health challenges.

More news can also be found from the University of Botswana's Webpage

RAMDDA Project – Drug Design and Discovery

The RAMDDA Project (Research and Academic Mobility for Drug Design and Discovery in Africa) invites applications for twelve (12) MSc Degree-seeking research scholarships to support a two-year research mobility in advanced areas of drug design and discovery.

These scholarships aim to strengthen postgraduate research capacity, promote inter-institutional collaboration, and enhance advanced training in experimental and computational chemistry across Africa.

Host Institutions Available Scholarships

• University of Botswana – 2
• Botswana International University of Science and Technology – 2
• Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia) – 3
• Adama Science and Technology University (Ethiopia) – 2
• University of Ghana (Ghana) – 2
• University of the Free State (South Africa) – 1

Total: 12

Scholarship Duration

• Twenty-four (24) months per scholarship
• After successful completion of the program, candidates will receive an MSc degree from the host institution

Eligible Research Areas

Applicants must propose research strictly aligned with drug design and discovery within one of the following disciplines:

• Organic Chemistry
  • Natural Product Chemistry
  • Synthesis
  • Materials Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Computational Chemistry
• Materials Science or related fields in drug design and discovery
• Bioinorganic Chemistry

Interdisciplinary proposals are welcome only if they are clearly focused on drug discovery applications.

Eligibility Criteria

• Be African nationals and residents of an African country
• Be conducting research relevant to drug design and discovery and drug delivery
• Demonstrate that the proposed research will contribute to their MSc thesis
• Be able to undertake a full-time, 24-month research stay at the host institution

Required Application Documents

• Completed RAMDDA Scholarship Application Form (see Downloads page)
• Copy of Passport (biodata pages only)
• Research Proposal prepared using the RAMDDA Proposal Template
• Curriculum Vitae (maximum 4 pages)
• Academic transcripts
• Motivation letter (maximum 1 page)
• Proof of Residence (National ID)
• Language Test Results (if available)
• Certificate of Work Experience (if available)
• List of publications and conference presentations (if any)
• Proof of belonging to disadvantaged group (if applicable)
• Any additional supporting documents

Selection Criteria

• Scientific quality and feasibility of the proposed research
• Relevance to drug design and discovery
• Alignment with RAMDDA research objectives
• Applicant’s academic background, preparedness, and research potential
• Expected contribution to capacity building and collaboration
• Full selection criteria available at www.ramdda.org
• Compliance with postgraduate admission requirements of host universities

As per the funder’s requirements, applicants are not eligible for scholarships in their country of origin. Applications from female candidates and under-represented groups are strongly encouraged.

Financial Support

Each scholarship will provide financial support in accordance with RAMDDA and EACEA mobility rules, covering eligible costs related to the 24-month research stay.

Application Submission

• Submission method: https://apply.ramdda.org/
• Application opens: March 26, 2026
• Application closes: May 5, 2026
• Notification of results: on or before June 10, 2026

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Additional Information

For inquiries and additional information, visit www.ramdda.org or email ramddaorg@gmail.com or admin@ramdda.org.

About RAMDDA

RAMDDA is a collaborative academic mobility and research capacity-building project funded by the European Commission under the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility program, involving the University of Botswana, University of the Free State, Addis Ababa University, University of Ghana, Adama Science and Technology University, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, and University College Cork.

On February 23, 2026, representatives of the EACEA expert delegation conducted a monitoring and support visit to one of the RAMDDA partner institutions, Adama Science and Technology University (ASTU). The visiting team met with university leadership and project staff to discuss the implementation of the MOBAF mobility project, reviewing progress, challenges, quality assurance procedures, financial management, and arrangements for student, trainee, and staff mobility. 

The ASTU team delivered a structured presentation covering an overview of the university, an introduction to the RAMDDA project, key achievements at both consortium and institutional levels, and the institution’s capacity in terms of human resources, facilities, and management to handle externally funded projects, supported by its track record. The team also presented available laboratory equipment and planned procurements under the EDCF project. This was followed by an on-site tour of the materials chemistry laboratory, the Research Park, and the ICT infrastructure, allowing the delegates to directly observe operational facilities. 

The delegation additionally interacted with MSc and PhD students to understand the academic environment and student experience. The visitors expressed strong satisfaction with the organization of the visit and were highly impressed by the institutional capacity and commitment demonstrated by ASTU toward successful implementation of the RAMDDA project. The visit provided an opportunity to exchange experiences, strengthen collaboration, and identify areas for further improvement in the management of international mobility programmes.

The RAMDDA (Research and Academic Mobility for Promoting Drug Discovery in Africa) project invites applications for four (4) fully funded full-time PhD scholarships in chemistry-related fields with relevance to drug discovery. The scholarships are funded under an EU-supported Intra-Africa Academic Mobility framework and will support outstanding candidates to pursue doctoral studies at partner institutions in Africa.

Through this call, two (2) scholarships are offered at the University of Botswana (UB) and two (2) scholarships at the University of the Free State (UFS), South Africa. The duration of each scholarship is three years.

Fields of Study

Depending on the host institution, applicants may apply in the following areas:

• Organic Chemistry – natural products chemistry, isolation, structural elucidation, synthesis, and bioactive compound development.
• Physical Chemistry – computational and/or experimental physical chemistry with relevance to drug discovery (UB only).

Scholarship Benefits

Each scholarship offers the following benefits:

• Monthly living allowance: EUR 1,230
• Full tuition fee coverage at the host university (UB or UFS)
• Health insurance for the full duration of the PhD programme (three years)

The scholarship is awarded as a full-time study grant and does not constitute an employment contract. Recipients may not hold another EU-funded scholarship concurrently.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• Be nationals and residents of an African country
• Hold a Master’s degree in Chemistry or a closely related discipline
• Meet the PhD admission requirements of the chosen host university (UB or UFS)
• Demonstrate strong academic performance and motivation for doctoral research
• Be available for full-time, on-site study for the entire three-year duration of the programme
• Comply with EACEA / Intra-Africa Action eligibility and mobility rules

To strengthen academic mobility, funder rules specify that:

• Nationals of Botswana are not eligible for the UB scholarships, but may apply for the UFS scholarships.
• Nationals of South Africa are not eligible for the UFS scholarships, but may apply for the UB scholarships.

In line with EU principles of equal opportunity and inclusion, women and candidates from under-represented or disadvantaged groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Selection Process

The selection process will be competitive, transparent, and merit-based. Assessment will consider:

• Academic excellence and track record
• Relevance of previous training to the selected field of study
• Quality of the motivation letter and research/study plan
• Compliance with project and EACEA eligibility requirements

Application Documents

Applicants must submit a complete application package. The detailed checklists for each host institution are provided in the attached call documents. In general, applications will require:

• Completed application form
• Copy of passport (biodata pages)
• Certified academic transcripts and degree certificates (BSc and MSc or equivalent)
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Research/Study plan (as per the provided template)
• Motivation letter indicating preferred host institution and field
• Proof of residence (national ID or equivalent)
• Evidence of English or other relevant language proficiency (if available)
• Two recommendation letters
• Optional: proof of work experience, list of publications and conference presentations, and proof of belonging to a disadvantaged group (if applicable)

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants are therefore strongly advised to follow the instructions in the attached call documents carefully.

Application Deadline and Start Date

• Application deadline: 28 February 2026
• Programme start date: As soon as possible after completion of the selection and administrative processes.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted as a single PDF file via the link on the RAMDDA website (www.ramdda.org) or by email to ramddaorg@gmail.com, as specified in the attached call documents for each host institution.

Call Documents

Detailed information about eligibility, host-institution specific requirements, and application procedures can be found in the following attached documents, which should be read carefully before applying:

• University of Botswana (UB): Call for Applications – PhD Scholarships (RAMDDA Project)
• University of the Free State (UFS): Call for Applications – PhD Scholarships (RAMDDA Project)

About RAMDDA

RAMDDA (Research and Academic Mobility for Promoting Drug Discovery in Africa) is a collaborative academic mobility and research capacity-building project that brings together:

University of Botswana, University of the Free State, Addis Ababa University, University of Ghana, Adama Science and Technology University, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, and University College Cork.

The project aims to strengthen postgraduate training and research in drug discovery, foster sustainable scientific partnerships, and contribute to improved health outcomes across the African continent.