The MAP Early Career Researcher (ECR) Training and Mentorship Programme was a six-month series of 18 hybrid interactive workshops, networking sessions, self-guided tasks, practical assignments and group projects designed to strengthen malaria-focused research capacity across Africa. The first cohort consisted of 9 participants who were data scientists, research officers, interns, medical doctors, soon-to-be-lecturers from different institutes in Tanzania and Zambia (Apotheker Health Access Initiative, University of Zambia, PharmAccess, Mabibo Traditional Medicine Research Centre, MAP Dar team).
The programme was support by 7 core trainers and 4 facilitators (predominantly from MAP Perth and Dar, Ifakara Health Institute, and the Vector Atlas) and 9 mentors (including from CHAI, IDM). The mentors and mentees were given structured exercises to make the most of their engagements.
The curriculum progressed from data management and coding to R basics, through spatial analysis, data visualisation, QGIS, science communication, and leadership skills. After the weekly 3-hour-long workshops (January-April 2025), the participants worked on independent research projects in groups until July with fortnightly check-in sessions.
The three delivered research projects were:
Mapping Flood-Hazard Exposure for Health Facilities in Tanzania
Mapping Geographical Accessibility to Primary Health Facilities in Tanzania and Zambia
Age and Sex Disparities in ITN Utilization: Evidence from DHS Surveys in Tanzania and Zambia
Hosted on our purpose-built GitHub Page site (https://juniperpng.github.io/MAP_training/), the programme functions as a self-contained resource hub: each workshop page houses the full video recording, slides, step-by-step exercises (e.g. “skeleton script”) and solutions while a dedicated “Assignments” page showcases participants’ written articles/abstracts, presentations, and self-published informational interviews. The latter were rendered from an R Markdown to HTML and pushed to our main Github repository in VS Code, requiring the participants to use all their new skills.
The programme culminated with inaugural MAP Early Career Researcher (ECR) Training and Mentorship Programme Symposium from July 9–10, 2025, hosted by the Malaria Atlas Project Dar es Salaam Node at the Ifakara Health Institute and supported by AMMNet. Participants presented their research projects, reflected on their learning, and formed cross-institutional networks and translated spatial modelling insights into malaria-control decision-making.
The two-day event concluded with heartfelt closing remarks from Dr. Angel Dillip, Director of Programs and Operations at Apotheker, who expressed deep appreciation to Ifakara for fostering a nurturing environment for young scientists—reflecting on her own journey as a source of inspiration. Dr. Susan Rumisha, co-lead of the Malaria Atlas Project, encouraged early-career researchers to remain steadfast in their scientific pursuits and to embrace emerging technologies in mathematical modelling as a pathway to innovation in malaria research. Closing the event, Dr. Honorati Masanja, Executive Director of Ifakara, urged the graduates to make the most of the opportunities afforded to them and to apply their skills toward meaningful, real-world impact.
The MAP Early Career Researcher Training and Mentorship Programme is designed to nurture the next generation of scientific leaders in malaria research, equipping them with advanced research skills, critical thinking, and leadership tools. The Malaria Atlas Project is proud to support young researchers as they grow into confident, capable leaders contributing to malaria elimination efforts in Africa and beyond.