Freetown, November 20, 2025 — The West African Consortium for Clinical Research on Epidemic Pathogens (WACCREP), co-chaired by Sierra Leonean scientist Alhaji U Njai, has been selected as one of five recipients of the inaugural Epidemic Science Leadership and Innovation Network (EPSILON) grant.
The consortium emerged among the top five finalists out of 250 applications, securing a place in the groundbreaking Africa Pandemic Sciences Collaborative — a multi-year partnership between the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA), the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford, and the Mastercard Foundation.
WACCREP’s winning proposal focuses on strengthening clinical and genomics research capacity on arboviruses, a growing threat in the sub-region. The initiative aims to deepen understanding of the natural history of these diseases and enhance coordinated responses to future epidemics.
Njai highlighted the importance of the grant’s capacity-building component, which will enable him, through the University of Sierra Leone and the Institute for Biomedical and One Health Research at Koinadugu College, to train and mentor young African scientists at the Master’s and PhD levels. “This will equip the next generation to address epidemics and pandemics across the continent,” he said.
He praised the collective effort of WACCREP’s team of scientists and researchers from Mali, Guinea, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone, and expressed gratitude to the partner institutions for awarding the consortium this prestigious recognition.
