Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most devastating bacterial infections worldwide. In high-burden countries, diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment of drug-resistant TB present a major public health challenge calling for highly skilled clinicians, epidemiologists and laboratory experts. In low-burden settings, in depth training of researchers as well as diagnostic and clinical experts at specialized centers is crucial to maintain high standards of care and to remain vigilant towards the increasing threat of drug-resistant TB. More research on the basic pathobiological concepts that govern mycobacterial infections and on new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to rapidly and efficiently prevent disease progression and transmission is urgently needed.

Research Center Borstel is located in the Hamburg Metropolitan Area in Northern Germany and is part of the Leibniz association of research institutions. It has a longstanding tradition in mycobacteriology, comprising several research groups, a diagnostic unit (National and WHO Supranational Reference Laboratory for Tuberculosis, SRL), a high-throughput Next Generation Sequencing platform and a hospital in which about one third of all newly diagnosed patients with MDR-TB in Germany receive treatment each year (Clinical Tuberculosis Unit of the German Center for Infection Research – DZIF).

Research Center Borstel calls for applications to a newly established scholarship program in honor of the Monteillet-Musiolik family who – with their endowment – wished to foster translational TB research and capacity building.

The Monteillet-Musiolik Tuberculosis Fellowships are open to research-driven physicians and scientists from countries with intermediate to high TB incidence (highly suitable candidates from low incidence countries will also be considered) and provide support for training and research on TB or other mycobacterial diseases at Research Center Borstel.

SHORT TERM FELLOWSHIPS:

• Duration: one month

• Examples: Observership in the Medical Clinic (wardrounds, interdisciplinary case discussions), training in phenotypic and molecular drug susceptibility testing at the SRL, introduction to whole genome sequencing

• Grant amount: EUR 3,000 per fellowship to cover travel and living expenses

• Available positions: four per year, applications are accepted at any time

LONG TERM FELLOWSHIPS:

• Duration: 12 months

• Examples: In-depth training involving a clinical, diagnostic or basic research project

• Grant amount: EUR 50,000 for travel and living expenses plus EUR 30,000 as research support

• Available positions: one per year

• Application deadline: 1 st January 2021, the program starts on January 1st 2022

Further information and application documents are available here. Further enquiries can be addressed to Prof. Dr. Florian Maurer, Head of the National Reference Center for Mycobacteria (fellowships@fz-borstel.de).