Crick Africa Network

The Crick Africa Network sustainably increases research capacity in Africa to tackle health problems locally and globally.

The Crick Africa Network (CAN) supports the development of equitable research capacity in Africa.

There is an imbalance between the well-funded research laboratories in the Global North and the relative scarcity of resources in Africa. 

This is made more significant by the scale of health challenges facing African countries. Infectious disease outbreaks, the effects of climate change and mental health problems are rising in the countries that are least equipped to make discoveries that could help their populations.

African scientists have the potential to make a vital contribution to tackling these challenges. In 2017, we established CAN as an equitable partnership with institutions in The Gambia, Ghana, South Africa and Uganda to shift the balance in favour of African scientists working in Africa.

Our team

We are a partnership between six organisations.

University of Cape Town logo
University of Cape Town
📍 South Africa
The Francis Crick Institute logo
Francis Crick Institute
📍United Kingdom
MRC The Gambia logo
MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
📍 The Gambia
MRC/UVRI nad LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
MRC/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
📍 Uganda
Stellenbosch University/Iyunivesithi/Universiteit logo
Stellenbosch University
📍 South Africa
WACCBIP logo
West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens
📍 Ghana

Fellowships

A key part of our programme is providing competitive fellowships to support African scientists through the transition to becoming independent researchers in Africa.

The first round of fellows was funded by the UK Research & Innovation Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). Since completing their fellowships, they have developed their research in infectious diseases, and built training capacity for the next generation of African scientists.

Our next round of fellowships started in April 2024, supported by LifeArc. Translating basic research into real-world applications is a key part of our mission, and LifeArc will help our fellows to develop their research into clinical, commercial or environmental benefits.

We are also supporting Technology Development Fellows – one-year training posts for African-based scientists in the management and development of science and technology platforms, skills which are critically lacking across much of the African continent.

Meet our fellows

Eight early-career researchers are taking part in our second round of fellowships.

Meet our fellows >

The story so far

£14m awarded to fellows in grant funding
97 students supervised
8 independent research groups established in Africa
82 publications published
36 more publications submitted or in preparation
1 biotech spin-out launched

Interested in supporting our work?

Contact Rebecca Wilson, head of strategic partnerships.

  • CAN meeting 2022
    CAN fellows, supervisors and organisers at the annual meeting in South Africa in 2022.
  • Five people in white lab coats taking a photo of themselves inside a glass building.
    Five of the first CAN fellows at the Crick.
  • A person presenting at a podium with a sign reading 'Crick African Network Scientific Symposium'.
    Dr Abdul Karim Sesay, Genomics Facility Lead at the MRC Unit The Gambia, presenting at the CAN Scientific Symposium in The Gambia.
  • A group of people standing in front of a hotel.
    The first round of CAN fellows at the 2022 CAN meeting in South Africa.
  • A group of people stnading in front of a building, wearing lanyards and badges.
    The Crick and MRC UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit meeting in Uganda in 2018.
  • A man and a group of children outside holding mosquito nets.
    CAN fellow Benoit Assogba carrying out malaria fieldwork.
LifeArc
Our current round of African Career Acceleration Fellowships is supported by LifeArc, a self-financing medical research charity.