Building Informatics Capacity in Southern Africa

描述(由申请人提供)： 在撒哈拉以南非洲建立独立研究能力仍然是一项挑战，其中之一是 严重缺乏信息学能力。这种信息学能力的缺乏体现在研究过程的各个方面。它从研究项目的数据收集和数据录入系统的设计开始。这种系统通常是在北方开发的，然后简单地出口到南方使用。他们经常使用不适合当地情况的术语。它们还可能采用发展中国家研究站点所没有的技术能力，例如高速互联网连接。系统管理任务--添加用户、进行数据备份、从大型数据库中提取数据集、设置系统配置、维护安全和故障排除--的设计方式可能在北方的大型大学环境中是可行的，但在许多研究是在贫穷国家进行的条件下则不容易管理。简单地将系统从北方移植到南方可能会导致失败和数据收集不佳。拟议的培训计划将把目前由ITMI赞助的信息学兼职硕士课程扩大到为期18个月的全日制课程，其中将包括至少12个月的研究项目指导工作。它将继续为波士顿的高级培训提供机会，并将扩大提供生物信息学培训。这项培训将支持纳塔尔大学及其两个半自主研究机构--非洲健康和人口研究中心和设在纳塔尔大学的多机构合作的南非艾滋病研究方案中心--目前正在开展的一系列有资金支持的研究活动。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Establishing independent research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa remains a challenge, one of which is profound lack of informatics capacity. This lack of informatics capacity manifests itself in all aspects of the research process. It starts with the design of data collection and data entry systems for research projects. Such systems are often developed in the north, and then simply exported for use in the south. They often make use of terminology that is inappropriate to local conditions. They may also assume technologic capabilities that are not available in developing country research sites, for instance high-speed Internet connections. System administration tasks - adding users, doing data backup, extracting datasets from large databases, setting system configuration, maintaining security, and troubleshooting problems - may be designed in a way that is workable in large university setting in the north, but not easily managed in the conditions where much of the research is carried out in poor countries. Simpte transplantation of systems from the north to the south can lead to failure and sub-optimal data collection. The proposed training program will expand the current ITMI sponsored part-time masters program in informatics to a full-time 18-month programme that will include at least 12 months of mentored work on a research project. It will continue to provide opportunities for advanced training in Boston, and will expand to offer training in bioinformatics. This training will support the rich array of funded research initiatives that are currently ongoing at the University of Natal and its two semi-autonomous research institutes, the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies and the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), a multi-institution collaboration based at the University of Natal.