We propose to establish the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) HIV Research Training Program in Mozambique (Pitt HRTP). The purpose of the program is to build research capacity at the Catholic University of Mozambique, located in the port city of Beira, for the conduct of HIV clinical trials. This program is an extension of the Pitt AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP), which was established in 1998 and has been building research capacity at UCM since 2009. Previously, the Pitt AITRP contributed substantially to building research capacity in Brazil for the development of HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) sites in Rio de Janeiro and Sjo Paulo. The Pitt HRTP will be directed by Dr. Lee Harrison, Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine, who was also the Director of the Pitt AITRP. A broad array of non- degree and degree training opportunities will be available in epidemiology and biostatistics, laboratory sciences, behavioral sciences, and other fields relevant to clinical trials. Participating training sites are Pitt; the Federal University of Rio d Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil; the University of Stellenbosch (SU), Cape Town, South Africa; and the Manhija Health Research Center (CISM), Manhija, Mozambique. The program includes a multidisciplinary group of experienced mentors and excellent training opportunities at each site. The inclusion of UFRJ, SU, and CISM provides substantial opportunities for south-to-south training. Trainees will have access to all of the relevant resources of the participating institutions. A key measure of program success will be the participation of UCM in HIV clinical trials by the end of the five-year funding period.
We propose a research training program at the Catholic University of Mozambique which has as its primary goal the enhancement of research capacity for the conduct of HIV clinical trials. This will be accomplished by an expert, multidisciplinary team of research mentors and excellent training opportunities at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA; the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the University of Stellenbosch (SU), Cape Town, South Africa; and the Manhi?a Health Research Center (CISM), Manhi?a, Mozambique. By the end of the five-year funding period, we anticipate that UCM will be participating in HIV clinical trials.
