Under the partnership, Wellcome and the University of Oxford will support research activities with a funding commitment of up to £91 million over the next seven years. KEMRI’s Acting Director General and CEO, Professor Elijah Songok, signed the MoU alongside Dr John-Arne Røttingen, Chief Executive Officer of Wellcome, and Professor Gavin Screaton, Head of the Medical Sciences Division at the University of Oxford.
Prof Songok highlighted the strategic importance of the KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, emphasising its contribution of over 30 percent of KEMRI’s research output. He said: ‘The Programme remains one of KEMRI’s flagship research and training initiatives, continuously making impactful contributions to health research and capacity building.’
Dr Røttingen underscored Wellcome’s focus on supporting science to address the most urgent global health challenges facing everyone, including mental health, climate change, and infectious diseases. He said: ‘We are proud of what our collaboration has achieved over the years and are excited to continue contributing towards better health outcomes in the years to come.’
Prof Screaton reiterated the University of Oxford’s commitment to fostering equitable research collaborations worldwide, particularly with researchers across Africa. He said: ‘We are dedicated to advancing learning and research that positively impacts millions of lives globally.’
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Medicine website.