The UAB """"""""Framework Proposal for Global Health"""""""" advances a vibrant portfolio of research and education by introducing (a) new incentives and mechanisms for the broadest university-wide engagement of faculty, students and staff; (b) closing specific curricula and communication gaps; and, (c) promoting field-based internship and research training opportunities related to infectious diseases, environmental impacts and assessments, public health leadership and management, and access to care for the disabled. Our Program is highly leveraged with matching funds to offset costs of curricula and coordination ($145,000 in yr 1). The program will involve nine UAB Schools (Schools of Public Health, Arts and Humanities, Business, Dentistry, Engineering, Health Related Professions, Medicine, Nursing, Social and Behavioral Sciences), long-term international partners (Pirogov Medical Univ., Ukraine, Univ. of West Indies, Jamaica, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru, Univ. of Zambia and Center for Infectious Disease Research, Zambia), and new entities for global health collaboration, including Gallaudet University; SIFAT, an Alabama NGO; and the Univ. of Alabama Environmental Institute.
The aims are to: (1) Enhance the stream of UAB undergraduate and graduate students for Global Health via new, multi- and inter-disciplinary courses, including a certificate program in Global Health with distance learning options; core courses; field-based courses that address social, cultural and environmental determinants for health and access to care; and, short term undergraduate study exchanges at foreign partner educational institutions; (2) Increase participation of faculty in pilot research conducted at international sites, with focus on multidisciplinary, collaborative research and mentoring of graduate students; and, (3) Establish new administrative and information management services to support coordination of international research and training. Features of Program coordination include administrative support by UAB Sparkman Center for Global Health, establishment of a UAB Framework Executive Committee with faculty representatives from the nine participating schools and three Centers to support program planning, implementation and evaluation; developing a web-based system administered by Sparkman Center that provides a """"""""virtual"""""""" course catalog of all UAB """"""""global health"""""""" related courses, database of faculty engaged in international research, and announcements pertaining to grants, meetings, training opportunities and local seminars. Innovations include collaboration with Gallaudett, a premier institution for education of the deaf, a focus area on issues of disabilities in the developing world; collaboration with SIFAT and Univ. of Ala. on courses to address mitigation of environmental impacts; curricula that expands and targets meaningful challenges for UAB students in the field; and reaching untapped students (foreign, undergraduates, graduate) through a certificate, distance-based course. ? ?
