The Africa Oxford Health Innovation Platform (AfOx-HIP) is a multi-disciplinary programme to support African innovators develop new solutions to Africa’s health challenges. It does so by connecting research to industry to tackle prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment through impact investment and innovation. AfOx-HIP is a University of Oxford collaborative platform supported by key researchers and led by the Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx).

AfOx-HIP is an extension of Africa-Oxford collaborations aimed at connecting research to industry to solve intractable societal challenges. AfOx-HIP helps ideas come to life as real solutions to big challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship by pursuing a broader purpose for sustainable futures. The shifting societal perceptions aligned to creating and sustaining value in the world provide an opportunity for promoting pursuit of purpose through impact investment and innovation.

AfOx-HIP is a collaboration between AfOx and key partners including: Grand Challenges Africa at the African Academy of Sciences, The Royal Academy of Engineering, The Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, Oxford Foundry, TORCH, the Said Business School Africa Initiative and Reuben College, Oxford. 

Focus Areas

AfOx-HIP is open to work in any scientific discipline, including outside life sciences and engineering sciences, and any type of technology leading to the creation of solutions towards disease prevention, diagnosis, management and treatment.

Examples of technologies include:

• Therapeutics
• Vaccines
• Devices
• Digital technologies
• Diagnostics

AfOx-HIP will work with African innovators in the co-development of skills ranging from creative problem solving, translational research, entrepreneurship, and venture acceleration.

• 50 outstanding emerging African researchers and innovators: AfOx-HIP will identify 50 outstanding emerging African researchers and innovators, proposing new solutions for health and facilitate their interaction with partners across Oxford, for the AfOx Innovation and Entrepreneurship Scheme.
• Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Health for Africa: Successful applicants will benefit from a relevant and robust teaching course on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Health for Africa. The course is delivered through a series of web-based sessions, available to all 50 candidates, creating an interactive network, including the use of virtual workrooms.
• 15 innovators will be awarded AfOx Innovation for personalised support: At the end of the virtual course, an enhanced programme for 15 candidates with projects with the highest potential for further development, will be provided (top 15 of the 50 projects). The 15 innovators will be awarded AfOx Innovation for personalised support in Oxford to meet specific needs for mentorship and technical collaborative support.
• Networking: An alumni network for AfOx Innovation fellows to facilitate continued engagement with Oxford and its wider network.

Eligibility Criteria

The applicant must be a national of an African country or have indefinite leave to remain in an African country, domiciled in an African country in which they must be a legal resident and developing the proposed health innovation in their host country.

For more information, visit Africa Oxford Initiative.