ODFP Curriculum Pillars

The program will give access to state-of-the-art research facilities and technical resources (e.g. laboratories, bioinformatic facilities) to improve our fellows’ scientific competencies and expand their research trajectories through a short research stay (SRS) scholarship in Flanders over 12 weeks (Phase 1).

During Phase 2 (15 months), our awardees will broaden and consolidate the knowledge gained at the SRS with three hard-skills courses of their choice (e.g. analysis of NGS data online) from the VIB training portfolio through exclusive access via the Open Doors Program.

We will also equip participants with soft critical skills to navigate their careers more confidently through a comprehensive portfolio of face-to-face, online workshops and self-pathed e-learning activities in Phases 1 and 2. This training curriculum includes courses on self-leadership (1 course), cross-cultural communication (1 course), negotiation (1 course), project management (1 course), and scientific communication (2 courses). In addition, the ODFP participants will have further access to 3 soft-skills courses from the VIB training portfolio. 

The Open Doors Fellowship Program aims to enhance our fellows’ scientific outputs in fields of research relevant to the African agricultural sector. Publishing in an international peer-reviewed journal will broaden the scientific visibility of the fellows and improve their CV; thus, we expect that the Flemish and SSA HIgher Education and Scientific Institutions (HE&SIs) teams shall produce research articles from their collaboration over 20 months. As an incentive, the ODFP will pay the Open Access publication fees when fellows will be 1st or corresponding authors.

The program will also encourage the exchange of Flemish and SSA MSc and PhD students supervised by fellows and the Flemish HE&SIs. Our awardees will also receive a travel bursary to give an oral presentation at an international conference for broadening scientific performance and female recognition.

The program will build solid bridges between Belgium and SSA HE&SIs during the fellows’ SRS and beyond. Hence, during the application stages, the program will thoroughly select the SSA fellows to guarantee targeted anchoring into the Flemish HE&SIs. It will help steer a smooth and proactive workflow once the fellows return home.

The ITP will also host a 2-day face-to-face workshop (Phase 1) on submitting Horizon 2020 EU-Africa proposals for stimulating multistakeholder collaborations. 

The UGent-IPBO team will individually coach the fellows to help them complete the ITP program successfully and maximise their outcomes. In addition, the ODFP will collaborate with the Belgian Women In Science (BeWise) and the Association of African Women in Science and Engineering (AAWSE) to create a support network of mentors for our fellows. Our beneficiaries may enrol on their Mentor-Mentee programs to interact with a broader community of EU and African female researchers; BeWise and AAWSE members can participate in the OD-ITP’ Online Cafes’ and the ‘Learn and Share Talks’. 

Through the ‘Learn and Share Talks’, we will also generate awareness within the SSA HE&SIs institutions about the importance of recruiting and retaining women in STEM and supporting them along their tenure track.

We shall discuss the need to promote diverse and inclusive working environments, enhance scientific quality, and ensure the presence of mentors and role models for the next generation of researchers.