Research Training
Since 1998 the Division has been dedicated to advancing the mission of global health research by training the next generation of scientists in lower middle income countries to address global health needs with funding through the NIH Fogarty International Center. So far, we have trained 32, post-doctoral and 23 Master and PhD long-term trainees that are now in high level positions in their universities and/or involved with their countries’ governments in responding to the HIV epidemic. The program has integrated and significantly expanded the HIV/AIDS research and bioethics capacity in Nigeria.
In response to the UNAIDS Gap Report - Identifying Populations at Greatest Risk of HIV Infection – the Division is executing a new training program in Implementation and Dissemination Science Research. In order to achieve the overarching goals of building capacity of partner institution in Nigeria to rapidly engage in addressing the barriers to controlling the epidemic, Epi-Nigeria was created. Offering Master- and PhD-level candidates training in Implementation Science Research and Epidemiology. The Masters level students are engaged in the University distance-learning program while the PhD candidates are trained at the University of Maryland. All of our trainees conduct their capstone or dissertation research in their home country and upon graduation contribute to achieve the goal of an AIDS-free generation through research.
Building capacity in bioethics research training in Nigeria to develop a health research ethics system for Nigeria and other West African countries has also been a training focus of our Division for the last eight years. The program works closely with the Nigerian National Health Research Ethics Committee to elevate the standard of research ethics review in Nigeria, implement electronic-ethics review, establish new ethics committees, and strengthen existing IRB.