This initiative covers all research questions that are primarily concerned with population health. Subject areas include public health issues relating to infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases; One Health; availability, quality and utilisation of data for health monitoring and surveillance; mental health; prevention strategies; population movement/migration; health policies.

The aim of the initiative is for participating researchers to identify joint interests in the area of public health and initiate new collaborative ventures. The partner funding organisations aim to facilitate this exchange by means of the following measures:

• An invitation to submit posters reflecting the participating researchers’ expertise, research interests and ideas for collaborative research projects and subsequently to view other participants’ posters.
• A subsequent call for DFG proposals for funding of the Initiation of International Collaboration.
• A Status Workshop in Bonn/Germany to convene all researchers due to receive funding under this call for the Initiation of International Collaboration.

In order to establish a networking poster platform and participate in the subsequent call, the posters should reflect the profile of the researcher or research group along with their expertise, experience and contact details. At the same time, the posters should highlight current research interests and ideas for joint research projects. Posters that show solely the results of previous research projects are out of scope and will not be considered. Researchers are required to submit their posters in either English or French by 30 September 2021.

Qualified researchers from all countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Germany are invited to submit posters (as a rule they should hold a doctorate and have a track record in their respective research field).

The call for the Initiation of International Collaboration serves to establish and facilitate collaborative relationships between researchers from Sub-Saharan Africa and Germany. In general, the DFG can only fund bilateral or multilateral Sub-Saharan African/German projects under this initiative. More information regarding the specifics of this call will be provided to the participants of the poster platform in October 2021. Proposals must be submitted in English by 28 February 2022.

This call for proposals is also available in French.