Aga Khan University Trauma and Injury Research Training Program (AKU TIRTP).

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Project Summary/Abstract Our previous programs (2005-21) under this RFA supported trauma and injury research through long- term training of 32 trainees at the Masters level (28 Pakistani and 4 Afghani nationals) and 3 in PhD (Pakistanis). The program also supported short term training of over 6500 individuals. Building on this existing research capacity at Aga Khan University (AKU), our collaborative team proposes to expand training in trauma and injury research (TIR) to five other countries with AKU campuses and establish AKU as a leader in TIR capacity building in low- and middle-income countries. Our history of collaboration between AKU, JHU and George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health (GWSPH) is ripe for a wider impact to support TIR. The larger mission of this new proposal is threefold: first, to support AKU, Karachi, Pakistan as it takes leading role in training future leaders in TIR (Specific Aim 1); second, to expand the training in AKU campuses across Central Asia and East Africa (Specific Aim 2); and third, to focus research on the national and regional issues such as injuries and trauma caused by conflicts, disasters and mass casualties (Specific Aim 3). This transformative approach means that we will expand our focus from all injuries to injuries in the specific context of disasters, conflicts and wars, and from a single region focus to a multi-national training model. The overall goal of this Aga Khan University Trauma and Injury Research Training Program (AKU-TIRTP) is to strengthen research capacity on trauma and injuries across AKU institutions in six countries from South Asia (Pakistan, Afghanistan), Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) and East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya), and build a strong south-south and cross-regional model of collaboration. Our model will focus on expanding doctoral training in Pakistan for professionals from East Africa and Afghanistan, while building a large cadre of TIR professionals through a hybrid, short-term (online and traditional face to face) training activities across all sites. The short-term training will not only elaborate approaches to studying basic TIR but also provide a focus on injuries due to conflicts, disasters and mass casualties. Through the research of doctoral trainees and small grants program open to larger audience, we will promote development of evidence around conflicts/wars, disasters (both natural and man-made), emergency care, and mass casualties – national priorities across all participating sites. In summary, we propose a unique, large scale collaboration across regions which addresses critical and contextually relevant research gaps in TIR with a focus on disaster and emergency care. This is possible largely because of the truly global footprint of AKU; the growth, acceptability and robust infrastructure in distance learning; and 15 years of collaborative work between AKU, JHU and GWSPH. We will leverage the resources at the two leading US research institutions to guide and mentor AKU during this phase of growth and create a global model of successful capacity development.