BIDIRECTIONAL TRAINING TO ENHANCE CANCER RESEARCH CAPACITY IN AFRICA

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Cancer mortality rates are projected to more than double in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in the next two decades. This public health crisis requires that a knowledge base be developed to better understand and act on the growing cancer burden in SSA. We propose a training program that will maximize the rigor of cancer research in SSA by training researchers to develop strategic and operational capacity that will generate new knowledge about the determinants of cancer risk and outcomes and improve effectiveness of strategies for reducing risk and improve outcomes. The overarching goals of this training program are to 1) Develop and disseminate best practices to enable the highest quality cancer research in Africa; 2) Teach fundamental skills to those who conduct research in Africa; and 3) Create a cadre of individuals who can lead and support cancer research in SSA. Our training program proposes the following specific aims: 1) Develop and implement an educational and career development program that will maximize the rigor of research being conducted in SSA; 2) Recruit and train individuals who can build sustainable careers in cancer research; 3) Assess the impact of this training program on the career outcomes of trainees and participants. Trainees will fall into two groups. First, we propose a Principal Investigator (PI) Track for doctoral level investigators who will be trained to demonstrate leadership in independent and collaborative research. Participants in the PI Track will become proficient in research oversight and governance and build the skills and a scientific project focus toward independent extramural grant funding. Second, a Project Management (PM) Track will be implemented to support the conduct of research. Participants in the PM Track will be qualified to support a variety of research projects within SSA health and regulatory settings. Training will involve bilateral interactions between mentors and trainees in both SSA and the US who will partner to develop and implement best research practices. The training program will build on highly successful existing research networks in SSA: The African Breast Cancer Study (ABCS), The African Esophageal Cancer Consortum (AFRECC), The African Research Group in Oncology (ARGO), and the Men of African Descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate (MADCaP) network. Building on mentors and research capacity of these networks, the proposed program will provide a core research curriculum known as the PROject Management Oversight Training and Education in AFRICA (PROMOTE-AFRICA) framework as well as project-based (for the PI Track) or practicum-based (for the PM track) activities as well as other educational experiences to individuals seeking careers as independent cancer researchers or project managers.