The Academy is delighted to be inviting applications for the first round of the Hamied Foundation UK-India Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Visiting Professorship scheme.
The scheme, generously supported by the Yusuf and Farida Hamied Foundation, will support the travel and subsistence costs of UK researchers wishing to visit India to build long-term research collaborations.
There will be an annual competition for the scheme for the five year duration of the programme. Up to 25 visiting professorships will be supported, that bring together investigators at the forefront of AMR research. In addition, the programme will support two major international scientific meetings on AMR, one in the UK and one in India.
The threat of AMR is one of the most critical health challenges of our time. Worldwide, at least 700,000 people die every year of drug resistant infections in diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS. It is predicted that by 2050 the number of deaths related to AMR will increase to 10 million people a year, making even routine minor surgery a serious risk. It is a research priority and must be tackled internationally.
Professor Dame Sally Davies DBE FRS FMedSci, Chief Medical Officer for England, has championed this initiative, and at the time of its announcement in autumn 2017, said:
“I am thrilled that the Yusuf and Farida Hamied Foundation are supporting concrete actions to address antimicrobial resistance through this exciting new partnership with the UK and India.”
The President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Professor Sir Robert Lechler PMedSci said:
“Through this programme vital partnerships between the UK and India will be formed, developing concerted actions which will long outlive the duration of the five year scheme.”
Applications for the visiting professorship scheme will be assessed on the basis of their potential to strengthen UK-India research collaborations in AMR, increase awareness, and contribute to the development of robust interventions. The first awards will be announced in summer 2018.
Detailed information on the scheme, to include the eligibility criteria, funding available, and deadline for the receipt of applications, is available here.