TDR Global

Leveraging a global network to
catalyse collaboration, mentoring
and capacity building

Fostering mentorship through

community-based approaches

TDR Global is a community of passionate scientists and experts who have been working with TDR to support the global research effort on infectious diseases of poverty.

TDR Global receives input and oversight by an external working group that includes expert adviser members and observers from institutions that collaborate closely with TDR. A community engagement strategy was devised by the advisory group in 2016 and is being implemented with a specific focus on mentorship.

To strengthen community engagement related to TDR Global, and to identify creative ways to enhance research mentorship in LMICs, TDR Global worked with SESH (Social Entrepreneurship to Spur Health) to run a Crowdsourcing Research Mentorship contest. The contest’s steering committee included TDR Global Working Group members and TDR Global regional leads, as well as SESH team members. The contest was launched in October with promotion on several social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and a website).

In total, 123 entries were received from 47 countries: 49 from Asia, 38 from Africa, 26 from the Americas and 10 from Europe.

Through a selection process (detailed in the Crowdsourcing Health and Health Research Toolkit), a single global judging panel will review all eligible submissions. Exceptional submissions from regions will be given regional recognition (a trophy and support to join a regional conference) and one person will be supported to present their idea at a global conference.

The contest was run through partnerships with the U.S. National Institutes of Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Results from this contest will be analysed and published in an open access, peer-reviewed journal.

Key objectives of TDR Global:

Foster mentorship to help members of TDR Global increase their capacity and profile

Catalyse collaborations by showcasing TDR Global members’ profiles, identifying experts to be considered for review of grants or expert committees for TDR and its partners and encourage networking and connections between people.

Many infectious disease researchers in low- and middle-income countries face difficulties when applying for research grants. Crowdfunding can help address these by allowing researchers to directly raise funds for their research.
In partnership with Social Entrepreneurship to Spur Health (SESH), TDR Global launched a challenge contest to build capacity for crowdfunding for infectious diseases research.

TDR Global Research
Crowdfunding Challenge

The five finalists, from left to right: Asha Wijegunawardana, Teerawat Wiwatpanit, Renata Mendizábal, Mahmud Ali Umar, and Miguelhete Joaquim Lisboa

The purpose of the contest was to solicit research proposals from LMIC researchers and then provide training and mentorship for selected finalists. TDR Global members volunteered as Steering Committee members, judges, workshop training faculty and mentors. The response from the TDR Global community was particularly enthusiastic, with 592 individuals stepping forward as volunteer judges. We sincerely thank all for their interest and the 47 judges for contributing their time and expertise. A total of 121 researchers from 37 countries submitted proposals to the challenge contest. Five finalists have been identified, matched with 10 TDR Global mentors, and given public engagement training to prepare them for crowdfunding.

The researchers joined a capacity building workshop hosted by TDR in Geneva, in November 2019, with the goal of enhancing their proposals and developing sharp pitches. Following the workshop, finalists will obtain institutional and ethical approvals in order to prepare for the research. In addition, they will receive feedback from TDR Global mentors, communications experts and crowdfunding experts. The finalists plan on launching their campaigns in early 2020, and we invite the TDR Global community to support their fundraising efforts.