Dr. Sylvie Kwedi holds a PhD in Public Health and obtained a Masters degree in Public Health and another Masters of Science in Biotechnology from the Bloomberg School of Public Health of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Dr Kwedi currently works for international NGOs, where she provides technical support to the Foundation and project in Cote d’Ivoire, Malawi, and Lesotho on Advanced HIV Disease (AHD) implementation and on Pediatric HIV implementation. Up to 2022, she was an Epidemiologist with the Institut de Recherche et Development pour la France (IRD). Her research focuses on engaging the community to improve tuberculosis case detection and other TB control activities. Her career is marked with spearheading internationally funded Epidemiology and Public Health projects with world-renowned organizations such as Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation (Aeras), Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte Contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale (OCEAC), in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, India, Cambodia, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. She is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Yaoundé I. She is the Founder of CLEAR, Inc. (Capacity for Leadership Excellence and Research), a consultancy firm that aims to build operational capacity of health programs and research activities in resource-limited settings, particularly in Africa. CLEAR, Inc. specializes in building major research systems in program set-up and management, ethics review, regulatory compliance and quality assurance, data management and information systems, and staff development and training.
Dr Sylvie Kwedi
Dr. Sylvie Kwedi holds a PhD in Public Health and obtained a Masters degree in Public Health and another Masters of Science in Biotechnology from the Bloomberg School of Public Health of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Dr Kwedi currently works for international NGOs, where she provides technical support to the Foundation and project in Cote d’Ivoire, Malawi, and Lesotho on Advanced HIV Disease (AHD) implementation and on Pediatric HIV implementation. Up to 2022, she was an Epidemiologist with the Institut de Recherche et Development pour la France (IRD). Her research focuses on engaging the community to improve tuberculosis case detection and other TB control activities. Her career is marked with spearheading internationally funded Epidemiology and Public Health projects with world-renowned organizations such as Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation (Aeras), Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte Contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale (OCEAC), in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, India, Cambodia, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. She is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Yaoundé I. She is the Founder of CLEAR, Inc. (Capacity for Leadership Excellence and Research), a consultancy firm that aims to build operational capacity of health programs and research activities in resource-limited settings, particularly in Africa. CLEAR, Inc. specializes in building major research systems in program set-up and management, ethics review, regulatory compliance and quality assurance, data management and information systems, and staff development and training.
Professor Isabella Oyier
Isabella Oyier is the Head of the Biosciences Department at KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Program (KWTRP), a Professor, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, a Calestous Juma Fellow, funded by the Gates Foundation and a Global Research Fellow at Reuben College, University of Oxford. Her research work focuses on integrating malaria molecular epidemiology into routine surveillance in Kenya. A project that partners with the Division of National Malaria Programme to implement malaria molecular surveillance activities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led the COVID-19 testing for the Coastal region. KWTRP is a regional COVID-19 genomic surveillance reference lab for Africa CDC and WHO-Afro, and she leads and coordinates this effort. In addition, she is coordinating the scale-up COVID-19 immunological surveillance in the East Africa region to determine genetic variants with immune escape potential.
Dr Evelyne Kestelyn
Dr. Kestelyn is a clinical trialist with over 20 years of experience designing, overseeing, and conducting clinical trials in LMICs. Her work covers various regions, including sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, covering a range of diseases, including HIV, COVID-19, tuberculosis, and malaria. Her expertise encompasses early-phase and late-phase trials, particularly in vaccines and therapeutics, with a focus on locally led and context-appropriate research. She has a proven track record leading multi-country collaborations, establishing trial infrastructure, and building multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-impact research in low-resource settings. Committed to capacity building and mentoring, Dr. Kestelyn has supported emerging investigators and diverse research training programs. She is a strong advocate for equitable partnerships and sustainable South-South collaboration, exemplified through her lead role in the founding of the Africa Asia Alliance for Clinical Trials (A3CT). In addition to her operational expertise, Dr. Kestelyn has contributed to the development of global clinical trial guidance, including as a collaborator with the Good Clinical Trials Collaborative. She currently leads the World Health Organization’s work on a global CTU maturity framework. She has co-authored over 100 scientific publications and plays a key role in shaping national strategies, including Vietnam’s “Roadmap to the Future of Clinical Trials.”
Katrina Lawson
With 20 years of experience in research management and science communication, Katrina leads three teams at OUCRU – grants, communications, and policy engagement. As a New Zealander, Katrina’s research management career began with the University of Auckland in New Zealand. She began working with OUCRU in Vietnam in 2011, and also worked at KAUST in Saudi Arabia from 2014 to 2016, before returning to her current position at OUCRU. In her work with the OUCRU grants team, Katrina focuses on building local grants management capacity and supporting researchers. Bridging with her work in communications and policy engagement, Katrina has a special interest in research impact, and is committed to developing the capacity for research management and research uptake in Viet Nam and regionally in Southeast Asia.
Sheikha Salum Mohamed
Sheikha Salum Mohamed is the African Regional MESH Coordinator, affiliated with both the Global Health Network at the University of Oxford, UK, and Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania. She holds a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Glasgow, an MBA in Corporate Management from Mzumbe University, and a BBA in Administration from St. Augustine University, Tanzania. In her role, Sheikha leads inclusive engagement between communities, researchers, and stakeholders across Africa. She promotes participatory approaches that ensure research responds to community needs while fostering trust and sustainable partnerships in global health. With over a decade of experience supporting malaria and infectious disease projects funded by UNITAID, USAID, Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust, she brings strong expertise in collaboration, and strategic knowledge-sharing. Sheikha is passionate about building supportive environments for young scientists in low-resource settings and is committed to advancing Africa’s capacity for impactful, community-centered research.
Dr Ana Cehovin
Dr Ana Cehovin is Research Lead in the Epidemics & Epidemiology Team at Wellcome Trust, where she leads a diverse portfolio focused on the epidemiology of pathogenic microorganisms. Ana’s research interests centre on understanding why pathogens escape control in vulnerable populations and designing interventions to mitigate these risks. With formal training as an immunologist and molecular microbiologist, Ana specialises in human bacterial pathogens, particularly Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Ana completed an MSc at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and a PhD at University College London, focusing on innate immunity during tuberculosis infection. Ana’s career has included research roles at Imperial College London and the University of Oxford, where Ana studied gene exchange mechanisms in bacteria and applied molecular epidemiology to explore bacterial population structure and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Ana is passionate about translating research into policy and practice, fostering global collaborations, and advancing evidence-based solutions to improve health outcomes in communities most affected by infectious diseases.
Session Recordings & Files
Here you can find the recordings and the PDF presentation files of the Online Grant Writing Workshop for Early and Mid-Career Researchers, held on 21 October 2025. This workshop was jointly organised by The Global Health Network (TGHN) at the University of Oxford and the Wellcome Trust–funded Pathogen Variants Network.
Agenda
Session 1: Understanding of the Grant Landscape in 2025 - 2026
The Online Grant Writing Workshop began with an introductory presentation by Dr Sylvie Kwedi, titled “Understanding the Grant Landscape in 2025–2026.” In her presentation, Dr Kwedi discussed the grant application process from start to finish, outlined different types of funders and funding opportunities, explained the key grant review criteria, and shared current trends and practical tips for successful grant applications.
Speaker: Dr Sylvie Kwedi, Clinical Projects Lead Dr Sylvie Kwedi is a public health expert with a PhD and dual master’s degrees, specialising in HIV and tuberculosis programs across Africa. She is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Yaoundé I and founder of CLEAR, Inc., which strengthens health and research systems in resource-limited settings.
Session 2: Key Components of Writing a Successful Grant Application
In Session 2: Key Components of Writing a Successful Grant Application, Prof. Isabella Oyier outlined the structure of a grant proposal and discussed its key components. She also presented and explained essential writing skills needed for developing strong proposals, emphasising their importance in achieving successful grant outcomes.
Speaker: Prof Isabella Oyier, Professor of Molecular Epidemiology, University of Oxford, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Program Prof Isabella Oyier is the Head of the Biosciences Department at KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Program and Professor at the University of Oxford. Her research work focuses on malaria molecular surveillance in Kenya, while she also leads and coordinates regional COVID-19 genomic and immunological surveillance efforts in the East Africa region.
Session 3: Building Collaborative Proposals
In Session 3: Building Collaborative Applications, Dr Evelyne Kestelyn delivered an engaging presentation on the importance of collaboration in research. She highlighted the importance of partnerships and offered practical guidance on identifying potential collaborators and building strong, lasting relationships across countries and disciplines.
Speaker: Dr Evelyne Kestelyn, Head of the Clinical Trials Unit, OUCRU Dr Evelyne Kestelyn is a clinical trial expert with over 20 years of experience designing, overseeing, and conducting clinical trials in LMICs, particularly in vaccines and therapeutics, with a focus on locally led and context-appropriate research. She leads major global initiatives, including WHO’s Clinical Trials Unit maturity framework, and promotes locally driven research, equitable partnerships, and capacity building through collaborations like the Africa Asia Alliance for Clinical Trials.
Session 4: Grant Management and Budgeting
In Session 4: Grant Management and Budgeting, Katrina Lawson delivered an insightful presentation on the principles of effective grant budgeting and financial management. She demonstrated how to develop and structure a project budget, highlighting the various cost categories to consider. She also explained how to present and justify the budget within a grant application to ensure clarity and alignment with funding requirements.
Speaker: Katrina Lawson, Grants Manager, OUCRU Katrina Lawson is a research management and science communication expert with 20 years’ experience, leading grants, communications, and policy engagement teams at OUCRU. She focuses on strengthening local grants management, research impact, and capacity building in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Session 5: Stakeholder and Community Engagement
In Session 5, Sheikha Mohamed delivered a presentation on the vital role of community engagement throughout all stages of the research process; before, during, and after the study. She discussed who to engage, effective ways to foster participation, and various strategies and methods for meaningful engagement. She also highlighted how to effectively integrate community engagement into a research proposal to enhance its relevance and impact.
Speaker: Sheikha Salum Mohamed, African Regional MESH Coordinator Sheikha Salum Mohamed is the African Regional MESH Coordinator, affiliated with both the Global Health Network at the University of Oxford, UK, and Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania. She leads community engagement and partnerships across Africa and focuses on participatory research, capacity building, and supporting young scientists in low-resource settings, with over a decade of experience in global health projects.
Additional Resources (shared in the presentation) - Mesh guide to setting up an advisory/involvement group | Read more - Guide: A Practical Guide to Planning an Engagement Strategy for your Global Health Research funding application | Read more - Low-cost and Upstream Engagement for Funding Proposals | Read more
Session 6: Funder's Perspective 2025
In Session 6: The Funder’s Perspective, Dr Ana Cehovin, Research Lead at the Wellcome Trust, provided valuable insights into the funding landscape from a funder’s point of view. She discussed the funding opportunities available at Wellcome, outlined the application review and assessment process, and highlighted the key focus areas for funding in infectious disease research.
Speaker: Dr Ana Cehovin, Research Lead, Wellcome Trust Dr Ana Cehovin, Research Lead at the Wellcome Trust, focuses on the epidemiology of pathogenic microorganisms and strategies to control infectious diseases. With a background in immunology and molecular microbiology, she specialises in human bacterial pathogens and is dedicated to translating research into practice, fostering global collaboration, and developing effective solutions for the most affected communities.
Additional Resources from Wellcome (shared in the presentation) - Wellcome Early-Career Awards | Read more - Wellcome Career Development Awards | Read more - Wellcome Discovery Awards | Read more - Supporting discovery research across the globe | Read more - Funding advisory committees | Read more - How to write an application for funding | Read more - Discovery Research funding webinars for global researchers | Read more
Grant Writing Workshop: Q&A session
Following the presentations by the six speakers, Katrina Lawson, the Chair of the Workshop, moderated a Q&A session with the panel, addressing questions submitted by participants via Zoom and the YouTube Live chat.
Timestamps:
0:10 - Who are considered Early Career Researchers for Wellcome & Publication requirements
