MEPI Scholars Program for Developing Research Capacity of Junior Faculty at Addis Ababa University

 描述(由申请人提供)：亚的斯亚贝巴大学卫生科学学院(CHS)现提交题为“MEPI学者计划，以发展亚的斯亚贝巴大学初级学院的研究能力”的申请，其目的是通过培养具有专业研究技能并在四个选定的科学学科(艾滋病毒/艾滋病及相关感染、妇幼健康、非传染性疾病[如糖尿病、心血管疾病和精神健康]和精神健康)具有专门研究技能和职业的核心教员队伍来提高研究能力。该培训计划的主要目标是：通过培训选定的优先科学学科的初级教员队伍，建立研究的核心能力；为有前途的AAU初级教员提供长期的教学和指导研究和研究培训机会(2年)，以促进他们的整体职业发展；并继续改善包括AAU研究管理办公室(ORA)在内的CHS的研究基础设施和研究支持，并加强CHS内的研究生和证书研究培训计划。这项申请针对四个科学领域：艾滋病毒/艾滋病及相关感染、妇幼保健、非传染性疾病[如糖尿病、心血管疾病]和精神卫生。这些主题反映了埃塞俄比亚面临的优先卫生挑战，需要培训研究人员 世卫组织能够进行高质量的研究，以填补关键知识和实施方面的空白。选定的四个科学专题的研究培训将在非洲联盟研究能力的全面发展以及国家一级产生协同效应。培训设计包括授课培训和指导性研究培训，将主要在国内进行，并通过在第一个医学教育伙伴关系倡议(MEPI)周期内开发的为期一学期的远程学习课程和一系列国内短期课程来加强。拟议方案将包括以下方面的培训：研究方法、赠款撰写、生物统计和数据管理；伦理学；以及关于重点领域四个科学学科具体内容主题的高级培训。导师将由导师团队提供，其中包括一名来自CHS的资深教员和一名来自美国合作伙伴合作机构的导师。因此，这一新计划将通过为学员提供受保护的时间、高质量的教学和有指导的研究培训，为实践和基于课堂的研究培训提供机会。它将解决研究能力差距，包括有限的时间、资源和机构能力，以及从事相关研究的机会不足， 并响应机构需求，在现有努力的基础上再接再厉，并利用其他正在进行的培训基础设施和协作。将进一步发展与埃默里大学作为主要培训伙伴以及约翰·霍普金斯大学和阿拉巴马大学提供重点领域主题的高级培训和指导的第一个周期下的现有合作。该计划旨在培训总共24名初级教职员工：每个科学主题领域6名实习生。将有一个竞争和透明的过程来挑选AAU初级教员实习生参加该计划。符合条件的参与者将包括AAU致力于研究事业的医生和博士级别的初级教员。每个队列的研究培训期限为两年，受训者将制定一个假设驱动的研究提案，在他们的埃塞俄比亚-美国双重指导团队的指导下进行。第一年和第三年将招收8名初级教员，第三和第四年将招收4人。预计该计划还将加强该机构的研究培训和基础设施，以继续培训初级教师，并培养出能够应对国家优先卫生挑战的STROG、可持续的跨学科研究团队。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The College of Health Science (CHS), Addis Ababa University (AAU) is submitting this application entitled, "MEPI Scholars Program for Developing Research Capacity of Junior Faculty at Addis Ababa University" with the goal of upgrading research capacity through creating cohorts of core faculty with specialized research skills and careers in four selected scientific disciplines (HIV/AIDS and related infections, maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases [e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular], and mental health) which are strategic components of the AAU CHS development plan. The main objectives of the training program are: to build core capacity in research through training of cohorts of junior faculty in selected priority scientific disciplines; to provide long-term didactic and mentored research and research training opportunities (2 years) to promising AAU junior faculty to advance their overall career development; and to continue to improve the research infrastructure and research support at CHS including the AAU Office of Research Administration (ORA) and strengthen graduate and certificate research training programs within the CHS. Four scientific areas are targeted in this application: HIV/AIDS and related infections, maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases [e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular], and mental health. These are topics that reflect priority health challenges in Ethiopia with need to train researchers who can conduct high quality research to fill in critical knowledge and implementation gaps. Research training in the selected four scientific topics will have synergistic effects within the overall development of research capacity at AAU as well as at the national level. The training design consists of didactic training and mentored research training and will be conducted primarily in-country, enhanced by semester-long distance learning courses developed during the first Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) cycle and a series of in-country short courses. The proposed program will include training in: research methods, grant writing, biostatistics and data management; ethics; and advanced trainings on content-specific subjects in the four scientific disciplines of focus. Mentorship will be provided by mentoring teams, which include a senior faculty member from CHS, and a mentor from a U.S. partner collaborating institution. This new program will therefore provide opportunities for hands-on and classroom-based research training by providing trainees with protected time, high quality didactics and mentored research training. It will address research capacity gaps including limited time, resources, and institutional capacity, and insufficient opportunities to work on relevant research, and is responsive to institutional needs, building upon existing efforts, and leveraging other ongoing training infrastructure and collaborations. Existing collaborations under the first cycle o MEPI will be further developed with Emory University as the primary training partner and Johns Hopkins University and University of Alabama providing advanced trainings and mentorship in focus area topics. The program aims to train a total of 24 junior faculty members: six trainees per scientific topic area. There will be a competitive and transparent process to select AAU junior faculty trainees for the program. Eligible participants will include both physician and PhD-level junior faculty at AAU who are committed to a research career. The duration of research training will be two years for each cohort and trainees will develop a hypothesis driven research proposal to be carried out under the guidance of their dual Ethiopian- U.S. mentoring team. A cohort of 8 junior faculty will be enrolled the first year and the third year and a cohort of 4 wil be enrolled in the third and fourth year. The program is also expected to enhance the research training and infrastructure of the institution to continue to train junior faculty and produce strog, sustainable interdisciplinary research teams that can address the priority health challenges of the nation.