bioethics: Johns Hopkins-Fogarty Training Program

[Suzanne Maman <smaman@jhsph.edu>]

The Johns Hopkins - Fogarty African Bioethics Training Program

The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and Bioethics 
Institute, in collaboration with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), 
Department of Clinical Bioethics, are pleased to announce the availability of 
a one year training program in research ethics for scientists and 
professionals from sub-Saharan Africa.  This training program is supported by 
the Fogarty International Center, U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). 
The training program will provide funding for African scientists, 
professionals, and senior scholars to study bioethics and research ethics, and 
also to do an independent
project in their home country related to research ethics.  The training 
program is directed by Drs. Nancy Kass and Adnan Hyder.

Who should apply for the training program?
Appropriate candidates include researchers who are working at universities, 
government ministries, private organizations and other relevant health 
research institutions, as well as professionals working with institutional 
review boards or ethics boards.  Pre- and post-doctoral trainees from a 
country in sub-Saharan Africa and with a strong interest in international 
health research ethics will be accepted.  Pre-doctoral trainees must have a 
bachelors degree in any relevant field.  Post-doctoral trainees must have a 
Ph.D., M.D., or the
equivalent.  Trainees should develop a clear plan of how they will integrate 
the training into their current work/research responsibilities, should have a 
clear statement of support from a division head or other relevant supervisor 
and preferably should have some previous experience in research ethics.

Where is the training program based?
The training program is a one-year program.  For six months, from January 
through June, trainees will be based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA at Johns 
Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and Bioethics Institute, 
attending classes, seminars and other relevant training opportunities at Johns 
Hopkins and at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).  For the second 
half of the training year, from July through December, trainees will return to 
their home countries to conduct a funded, independent project related to  
research ethics under the supervision of mentor(s) in the U.S. and in Africa.

What type of training do trainees receive?
All trainees will take courses in bioethics, research ethics and international 
health research ethics.  There will be opportunities to take other courses 
that might be of interest, such as health services research methods, 
epidemiology or international health systems. Trainees will also attend a 
one-week intensive research ethics workshop at Georgetown University and a 
one-week intensive international research ethics course at Johns Hopkins.  
Trainees will  participate in monthly seminars of the Johns Hopkins Bioethics 
Institute, and the NIH Department of Clinical Bioethics and will also observe 
monthly Institutional Review Board (IRB) meetings at Johns Hopkins and/or the 
NIH.

What type of projects will trainees be involved in when they return home? 
Funding will be provided for trainees to conduct an independent project in 
their home country.  Projects might include providing ethics workshops for 
research colleagues or IRB members; conducting a research project where study 
participants are interviewed to see what they understand; implementing a new 
type of informed consent procedure in a study and evaluating it; or writing a 
scholarly paper on an aspect of international health research ethics that is 
of interest to the trainee. Mentors from both abroad and the U.S. will provide 
guidance and support during the project period by email.

Do trainees receive degrees?
No, the trainees will be non-degree students at Johns Hopkins University and 
will not receive a degree from the university.  Trainees will receive a 
certificate from the Bioethics Institute at Johns Hopkins after they have 
completed the one-year program.

What type of support do trainees receive through the program? 
**Tuition for courses at Johns Hopkins University and for the Georgetown 
University, Kennedy Institute of Ethics Intensive Bioethics Training Course.
**Housing in a single, full-service apartment in Baltimore for 6 months.
**6-month stipend to cover food and other living expenses while in Baltimore
**Round-trip airfare between home country and Baltimore, Maryland
**Local transportation (for relevant meetings in Washington, D.C.)
**Access to computer facilities at Johns Hopkins University
**Funds to support research costs for 6-month independent study in their home 
country
**Laptop computer

How do I apply for the training program?
Application for 2004 training program is due on August 1, 2003. Application 
materials are available on the JHU Bioethics Website 
http://www.med.jhu.edu/bioethics_institute/  follow the "international 
research ethics" link, followed by the "training in international research  
ethics" link.
Application materials can be submitted by email, fax, or by courier mail to:
By fax: 410-614-9567
By mail or courier:

Dr. Nancy Kass
The Johns Hopkins University, Bioethics Institute
624 N. Broadway,
Hampton House Room 348
Baltimore, MD 21205

Phone: 410-614-1235
Email: nkass@jhsph.edu

Whom can I contact for more information about the training program?
Please write to Dr. Nancy Kass (nkass@jhsph.edu) for any further information 
about the program or the application process.

******
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