Infectious diseases are a major threat to human health through the globe. From well established pandemics, such as HIV, malaria and tuberculosis, to outbreaks, such as SARS, ebola and pandemic influenza, the cost in human lives increases every year. Infectious diseases are not contained within national borders and affect everything from cell biology and genetics to social system band national security. To come up with effective prevention and treatment strategies, a global multi-disciplinary approach is needed.

The International Infectious Disease and Global Health (IID&GH) Training Program will focus on advanced trainees (PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and clinical fellows) from all four of CIHR’s pillars of research (basic, clinical, epidemiology and social sciences). They will be selected from a global pool of candidates and will receive their primary research training and supplemental academic programs offered by the Program in one of four major research centres. These research centres are sites of major research activities through collaborations with the University of Manitoba (UM). These centres included Winnipeg (the home of the UM and the National Microbiology Laboratory and known nationally for its strength in infectious disease research); Nairobi, Kenya (where contributions to the epidemiology and basic science of HIV transmission and natural resistance goes back 20 years); Bangalore, India (since 2000 a respected leading centre in the development of innovated and effective HIV prevention strategies); and Medellin, Colombia (the newest of the UM’s international sites and a focus for HIV surveillance and prevention efforts in the region). The Training Program will fund Canadian-based trainees in each of the 4 research centre and, in an effort to realize true human capacity development, will fund local trainees at each of the international centres. The Training Program has 3 major research foci (HIV, emerging infections and global health) and 4 themes (Aboriginal health, ethics, knowledge translation and professional development). The academic curriculum is composed of a primary research project, major courses, learning visits, a short-term research practica and a scientific discussion group.