Over the last few years, the Division of Social and Behavioural Sciences (DSBS) ? part of the School of Public Health and Family Medicine at the University of Cape Town (UCT) ? has grown rapidly in its capacity to conduct high-quality, interdisciplinary social science research in priority HIV areas. Our recent growth, however, has focused primarily on supporting Master?s students working on a wide array of HIV social science research projects. To sustain and build on these gains, this D43 training program seeks to invest in developing our advanced graduate training?of PhD and Postdoctoral Fellows?in our Division?s priority research area of Gender and HIV. The overall objective of the BRIDGES training program is to strengthen UCT?s capacity to serve as a global leader in gender and HIV social science research by: a) helping develop the next generation of researchers capable of conducting rigorous, interdisciplinary social science research on gender and HIV (Aim 1), and b) strengthening the institutional training platform for innovative gender and HIV social science research in South/sub-Saharan Africa in priority areas aligned with both local needs and NIH HIV research priorities (Aims 2 and 3). The BRIDGES Programme will help consolidate UCT?s place as an exceptional HIV social science research institution addressing urgent gender and HIV priorities by intensively training 4 PhD and 2 Postdoctoral Fellows (Aim 1), developing new semester PhD courses (2) and short courses (3) to address existing training gaps (Aim 2), and hosting an Annual BRIDGES Symposium that will offer training, networking and professional development in gender and HIV social science at UCT (Aim 3). The project cuts across global, national and NIH ?high priorities? for HIV research in its two Thematic Areas of focus: 1) Reducing HIV incidence in adolescent girls and young women, and 2) Improving the performance of men in the HIV cascade. Training activities will be delivered through collaboration with a diverse team of UCT, South African, and international co-investigators drawn from Brown University (key collaborator), the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation (DTHF), South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), and Sonke Gender Justice. The success of BRIDGES will be measured by our institutional capacity to sustain a productive, innovative, responsive and impactful program of interdisciplinary HIV social science research aligned with the Trans-NIH Plan for HIV-Related Research. Strengthening this aspect of the University?s research capacity is particularly important in light of the University?s strong track record of HIV-related innovation in other aspects of public health.
Given South Africa?s significant HIV burden, it is critical that public health approaches include collaboration across disciplines and incorporate rigorous social science research. The BRIDGES D43 training program aims to strengthen interdisciplinary HIV social science research capacity at the University of Cape Town by providing training to PhD and Postdoctoral Fellows in two Thematic Areas of focus: 1) Reducing HIV incidence in adolescent girls and young women, and 2) Improving the performance of men in the HIV cascade. This project is a collaborative effort between the University of Cape Town (lead institution), Brown University (key collaborator), the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, the South African Medical Research Council, and Sonke Gender Justice.
