TB/MDR-TB Research training and Capacity Strengthening for LMIC in Southeast Asia Phase II

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PROJECT SUMMARY This grant application is the renewal of the D43TW009522 training program in its second phase for another 5 years. The training program's plan is to strengthen TB research capacity, especially human resources of TB research at collaborating centers in low and middle-income (LMIC) countries in Southeast Asia, namely: Department of Medical Research, University of Public Health, University of Community Health and the National TB Program, Myanmar; University of North Sumatra, Andalas University, Riau University, Syiah Kuala University and the TB Research Network of Indonesia (JetSet); National TB Program and Department of Medical Science Thailand. The training program will have a focus on TB. The program objectives are to train researchers from collaborating centers in Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand to earn the degrees of MSc/PhD in Epidemiology at Prince of Songkla University (EPI-PSU), to provide short-course training in TB Epidemiology/Biostatistics and TB laboratory science to various researchers of the collaborating centers. The long-term training to produce 8 PhD and 7 MSc graduates will be based at EPI-PSU. We will also train extra 20 trainees in 1 month training in TB Microbiology at Siriraj Hospital and Faculty of Science of Mahidol University (TB-MU), and extra 21 fellows in short course in TB Epidemiology at EPI-PSU. To enhance the capacity of the collaborating centers, our alumni and we will run research training workshops in Indonesia and in Myanmar and engage into the National and International TB Research Network. Our alumni will collaboratively develop and submit appropriate collaborative TB research proposals for funding. All long-term trainees will be initially selected by the collaborating institutes, and revised by a Training Advisory Group (TAG). The long-term training curriculum consists of one-year coursework (for PhD and MSc programs alike), emphasizing epidemiology/biostatistics, research methodology, responsible conduct of research, and data analysis. This is followed by data collection for research thesis related to TB (1 year for PhD and 6 months for MSc) at home institutes of the trainees. Finally, another year for the PhD and 6 months for the MSc trainees will be spent on data analysis and report writing at EPI-PSU. Apart from technical quality, arrangements have been made to ensure diversity of trainees, maximum retention and continuation of research career development after the training has been completed.