EDCTP3 Will Fund Ten Training Networks in Research Ethics, Regulation and Pharmacovigilance in Africa

The EDCTP3 Ethics Regulatory Grant (HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-03-SERP-01) is a major single-stage call for training and innovation networks across Sub-Saharan Africa. Managed by the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking, this scheme allocates a total budget pool of €15 million to support approximately 10 regional projects at €1.5 million each.

While clinical trials often dominate funding headlines, the EDCTP3 Ethics Regulatory Grant addresses the critical infrastructure behind those trials: clinical trial oversight, drug safety surveillance, institutional review boards (IRBs), and national medicine regulatory authorities (NMRAs).

Grant Summary & Core Figures

• Program Name: EDCTP3 Ethics Regulatory Grant

• Funder: European Union (Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking / Horizon Europe)

• Topic Reference: HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-03-SERP-01

• Funding Pool: €15 Million total (~10 awards at €1.5M per project)

• Submission Deadline: 31 August 2026 (17:00 Brussels Time)

Program Scope & Priorities

The EDCTP3 Ethics Regulatory Grant funds long-term institutional networks rather than short-term standalone workshops. Supported activities focus on:

• Pharmacovigilance Systems: Upgrading real-time post-market safety surveillance, digital reporting tools, and signal detection algorithms for newly introduced therapeutics.

• Ethics Oversight: Harmonizing IRB procedures to accelerate multi-center clinical trial reviews while maintaining bioethical standards.

• Regulatory Modernization: Guiding African NMRAs toward World Health Organization (WHO) Maturity Levels 3 and 4 to streamline medical product approvals.

Consortium Eligibility & Structure

Proposals submitted for the EDCTP3 Ethics Regulatory Grant must fulfill standard Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action (CSA) consortium rules:

• Minimum Consortium Size: At least three independent legal entities from three different countries.

• European Partners: At least one legal entity in an EU Member State, alongside entities from Member States or Associated Countries (including the UK).

• African Partners: Substantive participation from research institutions, ethics committees, or regulatory bodies based in Sub-Saharan African countries participating in the EDCTP Association.

• Consortium Coordination: Consortia may elect to designate the EDCTP Association as proposal coordinator to simplify administrative management and lump-sum distribution.

Application Guidance

Institutions not currently embedded in an active consortium should register on the official EU Funding & Tenders Opportunities Portal to secure a Participant Identification Code (PIC), connect with established pan-African networks (such as CARTA or AVAREF), and explore companion two-stage EDCTP3 research calls.