South African Research Ethics Training Initiative (SARETI) Leadership Program

PROJECT SUMMARY: The SARETI research ethics doctoral leadership program will extend the achievements of the SARETI Masters run by our intensively multidisciplinary faculty since 2002. The PhD program will offer comprehensive, multidisciplinary advanced doctoral and leadership training in research ethics for 4-5 African candidates holding at least a Masters degree in research ethics or bioethics, or exceptionally, equivalent qualifications with substantial research ethics publications. By training 4-5 highly qualified African ethicists SARETI will make a major contribution towards African and international scholarship and leadership in research ethics in Africa, equipping a new leadership generation. Candidates must be based in a research- active center, have interest, capacity and experience compatible with one or more of the following three thematic focus areas of our program: • Improving health research systems in Africa through research ethics leadership • Improving effectiveness and efficiency of ethics review systems through research ethics leadership • Maximizing social value of research in Africa through research ethics leadership A two-part selection process will invite the top 8 candidates to an intensive 6-week proposal-writing workshop and interactive selection process that includes visits to 6 leading local NIH-funded research sites (CAPRISA, HPP, KRISP, HAVEG, DTTC, FAMCRU), exposing candidates to cutting-edge health research and real ethical issues from which they may select PhD topics relevant to our programme themes, regional health agendas and alignment with the mission of the NIH. Multimodal selection criteria include presentations and excellence and viability of the draft PhD research proposal by week 6. After 6 weeks the top 4-5 PhD fellows will be selected and the others will return home with a certificate. This will be followed by short advanced workshops, including qualitative and quantitative research methodology and advanced ethics workshops on our thematic focus areas. PhD fellows will return home after 10 weeks. Further intensive on-site training will be offered annually with a cumulative 9 months on-site for thematic workshops and PhD supervision over the 5-year program. In year 2, fellows attend an Intensive Bioethics Program at our US partner, the Berman Bioethics Center at Johns Hopkins University, including visits to OHRP, FDA and Georgetown University. Tailored research ethics workshops will be offered at UKZN in years 1-4, based partly on the thematic focus and the needs of the PhD cohort, including leadership training, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, grant- writing skills, adult education skills, publication skills, presentation skills, mentorship training, REC/IRB management training, media training. Each fellow will have a research supervisor and a career development mentor, based on the successful NIH-funded UKZN DRILL D43 research leadership program on which the lead PI of this application is Co-PI. The cohort is expected to complete the PhD in 4-5 years. In year 5, candidates will help organize SARETI's 4th African Health Research Ethics Symposium (AHRES IV), presenting keynotes on their research findings and engaging in structured networking with African and international stakeholders.