International Traineeships in AIDS Prevention Studies (ITAPS) PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This new application for the International Traineeships in AIDS Prevention Studies (ITAPS) program, University of California, San Francisco will promote global HIV prevention research by enhancing the research skills and experiences of scientists from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) currently engaged in international HIV research networks. Previous ITAPS programs have trained 316 early career investigators from 55 countries since 1989; trainees and alumni have cumulatively published over 4000 manuscripts. ITAPS has served as a catalyst for many to pursue further training, develop successful research proposals, and become leaders in their fields. The prevalence and incidence of HIV continue to be greatest in LMIC, and more trained local investigators are still needed to develop, implement and test HIV prevention strategies taking local context and culture into account. However, a large proportion of HIV research in LMIC continues to be spearheaded by investigators from the US and other high-income countries. Early-career LMIC scientists may be hampered by a lack of background in data analysis, manuscript writing, and long-term mentorship from their home institutions. We will address these issues by providing a new component of applied research experiences and mentoring activities for HIV LMIC investigators currently working within existing international HIV research networks. The applied research experiences consist of hands-on experience performing secondary data analysis of results from their primary research networks, supported by training in data management, biostatistics, and interpretation of results, and using these analyses to develop manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. We will also promote linkages and learning exchange between early-career UCSF investigators and ITAPS scholars to foster mutually supportive collaborations. The mentoring activities consist of ITAPS faculty closely mentoring trainees through in-person and distance one-on-one mentoring, as well as training more experienced LMIC investigators to become mentors themselves, thereby building in-country capacity.
Our Specific Aims are: 1) To provide applied research experiences and research education for LMIC early-career investigators. We will support LMIC trainees to learn how to develop research questions, perform secondary data analysis and write manuscripts based on that data, using a combination of distance learning, mentorship, UCSF-based and in-country workshops, and on-line modules. 2) To provide mentorship activities for more advanced LMIC investigators. They will learn fundamental mentorship skills and apply these skills by supporting ITAPS trainees. Mentors-in-training will conduct in-country or regional workshops on data analysis, biostatistics and scientific writing, promoting local sustainability and multiplying the number of people trained. Over 3 educational program cycles, we will enroll 12 mentors-in-training and 21 trainees. Our new training program builds on the success of former ITAPS programs by providing in-depth training to prepare LMIC scientists to more independently and productively engage in research.
The research experiences, education, and mentorship skills training of researchers from low- and middle- income countries in this program will allow them to more independently address the most important issues of global HIV prevention, and with greater effectiveness by taking into account the local context and culture. ITAPS will help address critical shortages of trained LMIC mentors and fill gaps in analytic skills required for research. Mutually beneficial research collaborations between US investigators and ITAPS trainees will be promoted.
