Research Training in Data Science for Health in Rwanda

项目摘要/摘要 DS-I非洲倡议的U2R研究培训计划(RTP)赠款申请(RFA-RM-20-016)是一个 3个合作机构的伙伴关系：圣路易斯华盛顿大学(WUSTL)、卢旺达大学 (UR)和非洲数学科学研究所(AIMS)，都设在卢旺达的基加利。总体目标 U2R RTP的目的是刺激和催化卢旺达卫生方面的数据科学(DS)创新。一次高潮 传染病的流行，加上非传染性疾病的流行迅速扩大 疾病(NCDs)，预测卢旺达将迎来一场完美的公共卫生风暴，为杠杆提供动力和理由 DS以解决医疗保健方面的差距。结构化的项目设计将帮助学员在以下领域发展研究事业 DS，特别关注与卢旺达有关的卫生保健主题，包括传染性(即艾滋病毒， 疟疾、新冠肺炎等)和慢性非传染性疾病(如高血压、心脏病、糖尿病等)。我们建议 扩展现有的创新和跨学科DS for Health Research培训和实践示范课程 通过确定三个主要科学领域的额外能力：1)计算机科学和信息学；2) 统计学和数学；3)生物医学科学和公共卫生。U2R RTP将：a)提供支持 (学费、津贴、研究经费)24名学员：硕士(n=14)、博士(n=6)、博士后(n=2)、初级教员(n=2)； 每名学员根据个人需要接受1-2年的培训；b)培养创新的团队科学 采用跨学科方法进行研究；以及c)在大学建立机构能力，旨在支持长期的 该计划的长期可持续性。预期的成果是：1)培养下一代数据科学家 将拥有必要的专业知识来解决由可传播的负担带来的挑战性问题 和卢旺达的慢性非传染性疾病；以及2)完成完整的U2R方案领导力以及教职员工和机构 在U2R计划结束时，从美国和卢旺达共同领导的过渡到完全由卢旺达领导。实习生将参加 在为期一周的强制性“新兵训练营”(每年两次)、每月的网络研讨会和年中的集中授课培训 在高度相关的数据科学和医疗保健主题中提供职业建议、研究和学术进步 (即数据管理、生物信息学、统计学、流行病学、传染病、非传染性疾病、环境 曝光、传播和实施等)；强化助学金和稿件写作技能培训 旨在开发竞争性拨款提案的计划(“小型研究项目，SRP”) 学员在多学科指导团队的指导下进行准备、提交和实施 政府机构。新兵训练营中的有效指导通过学员的“集体集思广益”进行 会议“，他们在会上介绍他们正在制定的SRP，以获得反馈。一项广泛的计划评估 实习生和教职员工也将提供改进反馈。U2R RTP将建立和培育一个 可持续的培训、研究、指导和职业发展计划，将定位UR和AIMS 作为非洲国家和区域领导人以及卢旺达数据科学促进健康的全球中心。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT U2R Research Training Program (RTP) grant application for DS-I Africa initiative (RFA-RM-20-016) is a partnership of 3 collaborating institutions: Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), University of Rwanda (UR) and African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), both in Kigali, Rwanda. The overarching objective of U2R RTP is to stimulate and catalyze innovation of Data Science (DS) for Health in Rwanda. A high prevalence of communicable diseases, coupled with a rapidly expanding epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), forecasts a perfect public health storm in Rwanda, providing impetus and rationale to leverage DS to address health care gaps. A structured program design will help develop trainee research careers in DS with particular focus on health care topics relevant to Rwanda, including communicable (i.e., HIV, malaria, COVID-19, etc) and chronic NCDs (i.e., hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, etc). We propose to expand existing model curriculum for innovative and interdisciplinary DS for Health research training and practice by identifying additional competencies in three major scientific areas: 1) computer science & informatics; 2) statistics & mathematics; and 3) biomedical sciences & public health. U2R RTP will: a) provide support (tuition, stipend, research funds) for 24 trainees: MS (n=14), PhD (n=6); post-doc (n=2); junior faculty (n=2); each trainee receives training for 1-2 years based on individual needs; b) foster an innovative team science transdisciplinary approach to research; and c) build institutional capacity at UR and AIMS to support the long- term sustainability of the program. The intended outcomes are to: 1) train next generation of data scientists that will have the necessary expertise to solve challenging problems presented by the burden of communicable and chronic NCDs in Rwanda; and 2) complete a full U2R program leadership and faculty and institutional transition from US-Rwanda co-led to fully Rwandan-led by the end of the U2R program. Trainees will participate in mandatory week long “boot camps” (twice/yr), monthly webinars and mid-yr mtg with didactic training focused on career advice, research and academic advancement in highly-relevant Data Science and health care topics (i.e., data management, bioinformatics, statistics, epidemiology, communicable diseases, NCDs, environmental exposure, dissemination and implementation, etc); intense Grant & Manuscript Writing Skills Training Program geared towards development of competitive grant proposals (“Small Research Projects, SRP)” that trainees prepare, submit and conduct under direction of a multidisciplinary mentoring team from academic and governmental institutions. Effective mentoring during boot camp occurs through trainee “Group Brainstorming Sessions” where they present their developing SRPs to obtain feedback. An extensive program evaluation by trainees and faculty will also provide feedback for improvement. The U2R RTP will establish and cultivate a sustainable program for training, research, mentoring and career development that will position UR and AIMS as national and regional African leaders and a global hub for Data Science for Health in Rwanda.