17 Receive Post COVID-19 skills development scholarships
Seventeen postgraduate students have been awarded research grants under the Post COVID-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Programme (PSDPEP) to help strengthen Ghana’s biomedical research sector and address critical health challenges.
The award, which was announced last Friday, aims to support innovative research to develop vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics using synthetic peptides, monoclonal antibodies and natural products.
It also forms part of a broader initiative funded by a $28.5 million grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support health-related skills development in higher education and promote technical and entrepreneurship among youth and women.
The initiative was implemented by the Social Investment Fund (SIF) under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance (MoF).
Importance
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Social Investment Fund (SIF), Abass Nurudeen, said the scholarship formed part of Ghana’s broader post-COVID-19 recovery strategy in addressing gaps in the biomedical sector.
“As part of the project design, it was anticipated or it was conceptualised that there should be a package for students in the biomedical space to train people in critical sectors that we were lacking during the COVID pandemic. So, as part of that, a scholarship scheme was rolled out,” he said.
He emphasised that the success of the beneficiaries would play a key role in determining future expansions of the scholarship programme and urged recipients to take the opportunity seriously as their performance would influence the continuation of similar funding initiatives.
“Culturally, Ghanaians have the tendency to take everything that comes at no cost for granted. We always think anything for which we are not making any financial contribution is not worth our time and our resources.
“But this scholarship package is very handsome, even for international standards. So, it is important they make good use of it so that the purpose for which the scholarship was given will be achieved,” he said.
The CEO commended the Project Lead for the Medical School component of PSDPEP, Rev. Prof. Kwamena Sagoe, for his efforts in ensuring the successful implementation of the initiative.
Background
In June 2022, the Government of Ghana (GoG) signed a five-year (2022–2027) agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to implement the Post COVID-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP). The project aims to support Ghana’s sustainable post-COVID-19 recovery in the health sector while fostering livelihood restoration, income generation, employment opportunities and private sector growth.
The Department of Medical Microbiology at the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) proposed the Peptide and Antimicrobial Research Centre, which is hosting part of the project and oversees the research grants, to select the 17 successful students from a pool of applicants across Ghana and the West African sub-region.
