Ethics:
Ethics is integrated into each of the major courses and woven throughout the program. Joseph Kaufert of the UM, a highly respected authority on research ethics issues, will lead the ethics program for the Training Program (see biosketch under key leadership and letter). As part of the Clinical Trials and International Research Ethics Course, ethics will be a major focus of study. The IID&GH program will partner with a number of international experts on ethics and collaborate with their existing training program (see letters of support). Ross Upshur is the Director of the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics (JCB). The JCB has extensive experience in the creation of workshops for bioethics education, particularly in developing world contexts. They have held three NIH/Fogarty international capacity building grants in research ethics and educated a cadre of trained mid-career professionals in building research ethics capacity. The JCB has developed and delivered a modular program in public health and research ethics for the post graduate diploma in international research ethics at the International Research Ethics Network for Southern Africa (IRENSA) at the University of Cape Town. Additionally they have run graduate courses in all dimensions of bioethics including global health ethics, research ethics and public health ethics. Dr. Upshur has held peer reviewed grants from the CIHR to study ethical issues related to SARS, and two grants related to ethical issues in pandemic preparedness. In addition, he is the PI of an NIH funded grant entitled Masters of Health Sciences in International Research Ethics. He has also consulted to the WHO on issues related to ethics and infectious diseases. He has extensive experience in course development and experience in teaching in international settings, to diverse health care professionals and basic scientists.

Eric Meslin is the Director of the Indiana University Center for Bioethics. In the late 1990’s he was Executive Director of the US National Bioethics Advisory Commission, a federal advisory committee that advised the White House on a range of bioethical issues. NBAC was the first national bioethics body to undertake a serious review of the ethical issues that arise in international research. Its report on this subject, along with those from the UK and other countries, made some critical contributions to the discussion about capacity building in international research ethics. Indiana University and Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya have a had a two decade long relationship, known as the IU-Kenya Partnership which includes a large HIV prevention and treatment program known as AMPATH (Academic Model for the Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS). This partnership now includes research and training bioethics. In 2003 they jointly convened a workshop on ethical issues in research that led to an IU-Moi Memorandum of Understanding on Research Ethics, and developed a number of publications on related topics in international research ethics. Dr. Meslin is PI on a new four-year R25 grant from the Fogarty Center at the NIH entitled, “The Indiana University-Moi University Academic Research Ethics Partnership (IU-Moi AREP)” a curriculum development and training initiative.

Knowledge Translation:
Knowledge Translation (KT) is the final goal of all research, for without KT there can be no action. In addition to the priority placed on publishing the finding from the trainees major research program, one of the goals of all of the academic exercises is manage the knowledge created. This has been realized as a number of the Infectious Minds study topics and the research practica have been written up and published (see list of publications: Oyugi, Larcombe, Green) including in the lay press(21). The PHAC’s National Coordination Centre in Infectious Diseases (NCCID) has KT of infectious disease issues as one of its core mandates. The NCCID is a partner in the Training Program and will take the lead in informing the trainees about what KT is, and why it is so important. This will be achieved through lectures and workshops provided to the Training Program and also by serving as a practicum site for hands-on experience. As well, through the NCCID’s various national fora opportunities will be provided for trainees of the program to participate in knowledge translation experiences.

Professional Skills Development:
Professional skills development is mainly achieved through the Eco ID course, where the entire second part of the course is focused on skills development. Topics in this section of the course include: research design and statistics, research ethics, administration databases, effective research communication, intellectual property, research commercialization, grant writing and mock grant review panels. Other workshops to aid in professional development will included a career development workshop, “How to negotiate for that first job” and “Project management – what is it and why should a researcher know about it?”