European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP)

The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) exists to accelerate the clinical development of new or improved health technologies for the identification, treatment and prevention of poverty-related and neglected infectious diseases, including (re-)emerging diseases.

In addition, the EDCTP funds activities for research capacity building in Africa, supporting researchers’ careers and strengthening national health research systems.

Why is the partnership needed?

Poverty-related diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and neglected tropical diseases (PRNDs) continue to pose a heavy burden on sub-Saharan Africa, and remain a major cause of death, disease and disability worldwide.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that, with the increased connectivity of different regions in the world, infectious diseases can rapidly spread. Developing health technologies is therefore crucial to limit the spread of such diseases, as well as to fight them once they have spread to protect the health of all citizens.

Policy framework

As a strategic partner, the EU seeks to enhance cooperation with Africa to promote actions targeted to finding solutions to challenges that are global in nature, but which often hit Africa hardest. The Comprehensive Strategy with Africa and the Global Approach to Research & Innovation are the EU’s most recent policy initiatives that prioritise research and Innovation as a key dimension of sustainable development.

Moreover, on 30 November 2022 the new EU Global Health Strategy was published. The strategy offers a framework for EU health policies leading up to 2030, setting policy priorities and guiding principles to shape global health, including by tackling infectious diseases. 

Global Health EDCTP3 will play a key role in the implementation of these strategies and initiatives.

The Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking (GH EDCTP3 JU) builds on the first and second European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership programmes. This new joint undertaking is a partnership between the EU and the EDCTP Association, whose members are several European and African countries.

The partnership will deliver new solutions for reducing the burden of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, and strengthen research capacities to prepare and respond to re-emerging infectious diseases in this region and across the world.

By 2030, the GH EDCTP3 aims to develop and deploy at least two new technologies tackling infectious diseases, and support at least 100 research institutes in 30 countries to develop additional health technologies against infectious diseases.

Visit the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking website

Governance

The governance of the GH EDCTP3 JU is led by a Governing Board, in which both the EDCTP Association and the European Commission, representing the Union, have equal votes. The implementation of the programme is ensured by a programme office under the lead of an Executive Director. The GH EDCTP3 JU is to be advised by a Scientific Committee and a Stakeholders Group.

The Scientific Committee has been constituted. The list of members will be published on this page.

The first call for expression of interest for the selection of the members of the Stakeholders Group is now closed and 10 members were appointed. The list of members will become available on this page soon. In order to broaden the expertise of the group, a new call for expression of interest has been launched with a deadline for application on 11 June 2023.

2^nd call for expression of interest for the selection of members of the Stakeholders Group

2023

The second work programme of the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking takes into account the priorities defined in the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda. It is based on input from the Scientific Committee and the partners of the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking.

The work programme is composed of a main document and two annexes. The 2023 calls for proposals and topics are described in Annex 1. The planned in-kind contributions from the EDCTP Association are listed in Annex 2.

Two info days were held in virtually to present the Work Programme and its funding opportunities. You can watch the recordings and download the presentations from the Event pages below.

The calls for proposals are published in the Commission’s Funding and Tenders Portal, where applications must be submitted.

Work Programme 2023

Annex 1 – Calls for proposals

Annex 2 – In-kind contributions (IKAAs plan)

FAQ on Work Programme 2023 and calls for proposals

2022

This is the first work programme published under the Global Health EDCTP3 JU.

Work Programme 2022

Annex 1: Calls for proposals in 2022

Annex 2: In-kind contributions to operational activities (IKAA) plan

An info day was held virtually on 2 June 2022 to present the Work Programme and its funding opportunities. You can watch the sessions and download the presentations. 

Context

The GH EDCTP3 JU invests in global health through funding and supporting of collaborative research and innovation projects tackling infectious diseases. The GH EDCTP3 JU and the projects that are funded by it follow the rules set-out in the Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 and the Horizon Europe General Model Grant Agreement.

The Council Regulation provides that a coordinator for a research project funded by GH EDCTP3 JU needs to be from EU Member States, Associated Countries or a non-EU country that has a Science and Technology agreement with the EU (with South Africa being the only country in sub-Saharan Africa with such an agreement currently in place).

Proposed way forward

To ensure that all partners in the funded consortia, including sub-Saharan African entities, have equal rights to lead the scientific work of the project, the Governing Board of the Global Health EDCTP3 is discussing a new approach that would establish a “scientific project leader” within each consortium.

The Work Programme would highlight that the scientific project leader is in charge of the scientific governance and leadership of the project.

Tasks would include:

• acting as the key contact point for the GH EDCTP3 JU alongside the coordinator on scientific governance & leadership actions including external communication
• Monitoring that the scientific tasks are implemented properly, e.g. reviewing deliverables before their submission to the GH EDCTP3 JU
• collaborating with the coordinator on the project monitoring and the adoption of appropriate internal measures to ensure that beneficiaries are fulfilling their obligations

The scientific project leader can come from any legal entity in a country that is eligible for funding. It will be strongly encouraged that the scientific project leader be a beneficiary established in a sub-Saharan Africa country.

EU contribution and budget

The total budget of the GH EDCTP3 JU will be of up to €1.6 billion. The EU’s financial contribution to the GH EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking will be €800 million. The EDCTP Association will contribute at least €400 million, and another €400 million is expected from other contributing partners, such as philanthropic organisations and industry.

The total funding for the previous EDCTP2 programme (2014-2020) was over €1.4 billion, with a contribution of €683 million from the EU.

The activities of the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking are currently managed by the European Commission (DG Research and Innovation) under the lead of an interim Executive Director.

Recruitment of the staff of the Joint Undertaking is ongoing. Positions are published here and referenced on the EPSO Job opportunities portal.