The Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders (IDeAL) is a high-quality training programme designed to develop outstanding young African scientists into world-class research leaders. It is hosted by KEMRI – Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kenya. IDeAL is available to young researchers, from Undergraduate Research Attachments to Postdoctoral Fellowships, with the aim of keeping scientists at African institutions through a defined programme of recruitment, supervision and mentorship with the goal of establishing unique career paths for all students and fellows.

IDeAL 2.0, which is funded till 2027 to the tune of USD 4.4 million through the Science for Africa Foundation, seeks to expand the Initiative’s activities beyond East Africa through a formal partnership with the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), Epicentre in Niger, University of Glasgow and Oxford in the UK and Strathmore and Pwani universities in Kenya. Thus, IDeAL 2.0 students and fellows will benefit heavily from collective high-quality research resources, collaborative supervision, mentorship and learning across these diverse partners.

The IDeAL Team is comprised of over 200 people, including postdoctoral fellows, students, interns, mentors, supervisors, and the secretariat.

For more details on the schemes supported under IDeAL, visit the Programmes Page.