CALL FOR PROJETS : « GUYANE SANTE 2030 » Postdoctoral Felloship Funding

The territory of French Guiana is characterized by its multiculturalism, multilingualism, the presence of the Amazon rainforest, and a very young population that faces multiple health issues, is exposed to the risk of emerging tropical diseases, and suffers from long-term conditions. The healthcare system is marked by a low density of healthcare professionals, with healthcare services concentrated along the coastal regions of French Guiana.

With a long-standing dynamic, multidisciplinary, and cooperative research environment, the health ecosystem of French Guiana aims to grow with the creation of the University Hospital Center (CHU) of French Guiana by 2025. Currently, it has hospital and technical platforms distributed among three sites of the Territorial Hospital Group (GHT) of French Guiana: the Cayenne Hospital Center (CHC), the Kourou Hospital, and the Western Guiana Hospital. The University of French Guiana, the Pasteur Institute in Cayenne, and the IRD (Research Institute for Development) complement the research infrastructure.

Confirming its commitment to supporting health research in French Guiana, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) will allocate €500,000 per year over three consecutive years to the research projects selected through this call for proposals. This program is part of the "Guyane Santé 2030" initiative, which serves as the operational implementation of the 2024-2028 Regional Health Project.

At the core of the program is the funding by the ARS of at least five postdoctoral fellowships per year. These fellowships aim to facilitate the establishment of the university-hospital component of the CHRU (University Hospital) of French Guiana, in partnership with local education and research stakeholders.

Applications for post-doctoral scholarships are invited from candidates currently in French Guiana or those wishing to settle in the territory with specific scientific expertise. The proposed research project must be affiliated with one of the research units associated with the University of French Guiana.

Research projects co-led by a research laboratory in French Guiana and an external laboratory are also eligible; the terms of this research collaboration will be specified in an agreement between the University of French Guiana (UG) and the external research structure. The researcher may spend up to 50% of their time outside of French Guiana.

The post-doctoral researcher will be employed on a fixed-term contract by the University of French Guiana and will be assigned to one of its research units.