The African Mental Health Research Initiative (AMARI) is a mental health research capacity building grant funded through the Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science (DELTAS) in Africa, a programme of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) implemented with the support of Wellcome Trust and the UK Department of International Development.

AMARI is a consortium of four African universities, supported by three UK universities, whose overall goal is to build an Africa-led network of future leaders in mental, neurological and substance use (MNS) research in Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

AMARI aims to equip 46 researchers at the MPhil, PhD and postdoc levels to lead high quality mental health research programmes that meet the needs of their countries, and to establish a sustainable career path for these researchers. A particular focus is on integrating MNS research into existing programmes such as HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health work.

PhD and Post-Doc AMARI fellows receive a number of training courses to prepare them for their fellowships and future careers. This includes an introductory course to the PhD and Post-Doctoral research programs, a statistics course, introduction to epidemiology, and an Academic Career Enhancement Series (ACES). The ACES course is based on King’s College London‘s award-winning THRIVE course for early career researchers, and covers non-academic skills needed to build a career in research. This includes training in mentoring, presentation skills, using digital media, work-life balance, teamwork skills, grant writing, teaching techniques, and strategic career planning.

For more information, please contact:

Prof. Katherine Sorsdahl
Co-Director
Alan J Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health
Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health
University of Cape Town
Tel: 021 650 4798
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