ACTIVITIES
Current & Upcoming Activities
GC ADDA Drug Discovery & Development Workshop
22 – 24 July 2026
Cape Town, South Africa
OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVES:
1. Teach the basic concepts of preclinical drug discovery research;
2. Offer practical team-based sessions that reinforce the key concepts;
3. Build collaborative, international, interdisciplinary networks between the workshop participants.
Convening Meeting 2026
24-26 February 2026
Nairobi, Kenya
OBJECTIVES
1. Update the GC ADDA community on progress with Network formation, marketing and outreach
2. Showcase GC ADDA Flagship Projects highlighting successes and challenges
3. Working Group chairs to report back on the Working Group deliverables
4. Set GC ADDA targets/goals for the next two years
5. Host a joint community engagement initiative with RAFIKI Alliance
6. Leverage the location of the meeting to raise the profile of GC ADDA within Kenya by inclusion of minister of health and/or other high-profile stakeholders
7. Create opportunity for closed meetings for all Flagship Projects, GC ADDA Advisory Board, EXCOM, Operational Leadership Team (OLT), and Flagship Project Managers
8. Training session for GC ADDA community, including the Emerging Researchers
OUTCOMES:
1. Monitor and evaluate GC ADDA against agreed critical success factors
2. Review of working group deliverables and member activity
3. Implement a GC ADDA community engagement initiative
4. Increase local awareness of GC ADDA in Kenya
5. Identify strategic growth & sustainability targets for GC ADDA
6. Offer a training activity and networking opportunity for the GC ADDA community
Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Annual Meeting
17-20 June 2026
London, UK
OBJECTIVES
• Showcase African-led drug discovery research and the scientific advances emerging from the GC ADDA network.
• Explore the partnerships, infrastructure, talent, and financing needed to build a sustainable end-to-end drug discovery ecosystem in Africa.
• Foster collaboration between academia, industry, funders, governments, and the African scientific diaspora to accelerate health innovation and impact.
GC ADDA Annual Convening Meeting
10 – 12 March 2025
Accra, Ghana
OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVES:
1. Update the GC ADDA community on progress with network formation
2. Showcase GC ADDA flagship projects highlighting successes and challenges
3. Create visibility around new projects and new funding
4. Set GC ADDA critical success factors for coming 3-5 years (a balanced score card)
5. Map out key engagement points with different communities, including the diaspora, and
capture what is already occurring
6. Engage the next generation of drug discovery scientists
7. Host a training session for emerging researchers and student members (e.g. proposal writing)
8. Host closed meetings for flagship projects
9. Host closed meeting for GC ADDA Advisory Board, EXCOM, OLT
OUTCOMES:
Following the meeting, the OLT should be in a position to:
1. Monitor and evaluate GC ADDA against agreed critical success factors
2. Engage network members to execute selected activities
3. Incorporate training priorities into GC ADDA skills development plan (webinars, workshops,
scientific exchanges, mentorship, convening meetings etc.)
4. Execute the strategic growth targets for membership and region onboarding.
5. Identify how this consortium interfaces with other consortia on the continent and beyond
Grand Challenges African Drug Discovery and Development Course
11 – 14 February 2025
Cape Town, South Africa
OBJECTIVES
This in-person drug discovery training workshops will cover various drug discovery topics and include group work exercises to deepen the learning. This workshop will be a closed workshop for the GHMP mentees with the following objectives:
1. Teach the basic concepts of preclinical drug discovery research;
2. Offer practical team-based sessions that reinforced the key concepts;
3. Build collaborative, international, interdisciplinary networks between the workshop participants.
GC ADDA Flagship Project Workshop
4-6 Mar 2024
Nairobi, Kenya
OBJECTIVES
1. Agree on GC ADDA governance structure
2. Develop GC ADDA vision, mission, principles, goals and activities for the network
3. Establish groundwork for building the GC ADDA brand identity and website
4. Build a list of needs for the network members
5. Agree on communication strategy
6. Create visibility around current collaborations within the network, highlighting successes and
challenges
7. Create visibility around fundraising initiatives within the network
8. Opportunity to pitch project ideas to network members
9. Host closed meetings for Flagship Projects
Global Health Mentorship Programme Scientific Leadership & Communication Workshop
26 - 28 October 2025
Cape Town, South Africa
OBJECTIVES
The GHMP Scientific Leadership Workshop will bring together most of the mentees
and some of the mentors for scientific leadership training. Our objectives for the workshop are to
1. Explore leadership principles including self-awareness, leadership styles and
particularities of managing transnational scientific teams
2. Share adoptable practices and lessons
learnt from peers involved with the
mentorship program
3. Network with peers and selected mentors
4. Identify collaborating partners, build relationships for an enduring support
system
5. Empower delegates to feel more capable to drive transformational change and
to lead with greater vision and purpose
WCAIR Symposium
12-14 March 2025
Accra, Ghana
OBJECTIVES
A conference to showcase African led drug discovery research against endemic infectious diseases. The conference aims to strengthen existing networks, generate new collaborations and share knowledge. Find out more
Global Health Mentorship Programme
April 2024 – June 2025 cohort (49 mentorship pairs)
June 2025 – June 2026 cohort (25 mentorship pairs)
OBJECTIVES
The H3D Foundation Global Health Mentorship Programme is a fixed-duration, formal mentorship programme aimed at accelerating the development of drug discovery research capacity and scientific leadership in Africa. The programme provides structure to support the mentees and mentors to address scientific and professional development as captured by the following themes:
1) the scientific process: Guiding critical thinking on the questions that are technically able to be answered and which would have answers that are relevant for the next stage
towards product development; Providing experiential context in the discipline; Identifying major contributions and contributors; Encouraging the development of critical evaluation of the quality of one's own and other (internal and external scientist’s) research;
2) scientific communication: Enhancing formal, informal, oral and written
communication skills via review, practice and role-play;
3) personal interactions: Providing a sounding board and role-play partner to enhance day-to-day business interactions; Facilitating introductions to a wider network of subject matter experts;
4) career progression: Encouraging the development of a career plan; Providing advice and counsel regarding career development decisions;
5) scientific responsibility: Providing an ethical and legal framework for the conduct of research and dealing with collaborations.
Global Health Mentorship Programme Scientific Leadership Workshop
9 – 10 February 2025
Cape Town, South Africa
OBJECTIVES
The GHMP Scientific Leadership Workshop will bring together most of the mentees
and some of the mentors for scientific leadership training. Our objectives for the workshop are to
1. Explore leadership principles including self-awareness, leadership styles and
particularities of managing transnational scientific teams
2. Share adoptable practices and lessons
learnt from peers involved with the
mentorship program
3. Network with peers and selected mentors
4. Identify collaborating partners, build relationships for an enduring support
system
5. Empower delegates to feel more capable to drive transformational change and
to lead with greater vision and purpose
