This proposed University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) / University of California, Berkeley (UCB) / University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Fogarty HIV research training program renewal (Training for Research Excellence and meNtorship in Tuberculosis (TRENT)) will provide multi-disciplinary training to University of Zimbabwe, College of Health Sciences (UZCHS) junior scientists in order to strengthen capacity and promote high quality, innovative, and locally relevant HIV/TB research. Building on decades of collaboration in HIV/AIDS-related research and training, this sixth renewal of our AITRP will have clinical research, translational research, and implementation science- specific training tracks, each with its own dedicated faculty. In addition, in this renewal we aim to capacitate local established HIV networks (i.e., the UZ-UCSF Clinical Trials Unit, host to ACTG, HPTN, MTN, and IMPAACT-sponsored trials) through development of a clinical trials specialist- training track. The proposed training program will target pre- and post-doctoral trainees, aiming to augment and strengthen the research training available in multiple departments of UZCHS (e.g. Medicine, Dentistry, Medical Microbiology, Pediatrics and Child Health, Community Health, and Obstetrics and Gynecology) in both the short and long term. Trainee candidates supported by this program will be current UZCHS pre-doctoral students or post-doctoral scholars, many who will have been trained in previous funding cycles by our AITRP or complementary training programs; or individuals currently working within the Ministry of Health or implementing partner providing HIV/TB prevention or treatment services in Zimbabwe. Trainees will undertake dissertation research projects with UZCHS, supplemented by extensive enrichment via UCB and UCSF; or in conjunction with UZCHS partner organizations, Biomedical Research and Training Institute and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Trainees successfully completing their dissertation research projects will be eligible to compete for modest funding for their onward academic projects at the time of junior faculty onboarding within UZ. All trainees will receive training in the ethical issues involved when planning, conducting, and analyzing the results of human research studies. The result of the training program will be an increase in the number of advanced students and faculty in multiple departments of UZCHS conducting high quality HIV/AIDS- and TB-related research that is locally relevant and that contributes to enhanced prevention and treatment programs.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed training program will provide HIV/TB-related research training in conjunction with and support of the University of Zimbabwe's College of Health Sciences, in Harare, Zimbabwe. The training program will strengthen both the trainee pipeline and faculty of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Zimbabwe, which has been severely diminished over the past decade by economic and social problems in Zimbabwe. The goal of the proposed training program is to augment both the number and the ability of the faculty of the College of Sciences to conduct locally relevant HIV/AIDS-related research in support of the successful implementation of HIV/TB prevention and treatment programs.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Fogarty International Center (FIC)
Type
International Research Training Grants (D43)
Project #
5D43TW009539-07
Application #
9692825
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Bansal, Geetha Parthasarathy
Project Start
2013-08-01
Project End
2023-01-31
Budget Start
2019-04-01
Budget End
2020-01-31
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California San Francisco
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
094878337
City
San Francisco
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94118