The Vanderbilt-Nigeria Building Research Capacity in HIV/Non-communicable Diseases (V-BRCH) research training program builds HIV-focused research capacity with our key partner in Nigeria, and is designed to develop and strengthen the scientific leadership and expertise needed for research at eligible low- and middle-income countries institutions.
The goal of this five-year program is to build the capacity of Nigerian investigators to successfully initiate and implement high-quality clinical trials in HIV-associated non-communicable diseases (NCDs). V-BRCH builds upon longstanding and highly successful collaborations between two leading research institutions in Nigeria and the United States: Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). V-BRCH will solidify an atmosphere of continuous mentoring and skills acquisition for AKTH physician faculty to conduct clinical trials in HIV-associated NCDs via short- and medium- term learning opportunities, paired mentoring arrangements and mentored research projects.
Program participants will have the opportunity to develop expertise in clinical trials methodology, grant writing and HIV-associated non-communicable diseases epidemiology.
Other program components include:
- Attendance to the one-month Vanderbilt Institute for Research Development and Ethics (VIRDE) faculty enrichment and grant-writing program in Nashville.
- Yearly on-site workshops in Nigeria for physicians and research staff on HIV-associated NCD epidemiology, clinical trials methodology, and grant writing.
- Participation research-oriented fellowships in key areas of clinical trial design and conduct for junior faculty.
- Mentoring panels, regular progress meetings, and career development seminars.
- Competitive seed grants for mentor-mentee teams to promote targeted in-country pilot studies focused on HIV-associated NCDs.
- Advanced training in clinical trials administration and regulatory oversight through staff fellowships that include mentored training at Vanderbilt and remotely.
- Support Master of Public Health (MPH) training at Bayero University in Nigeria and Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) training at Vanderbilt.
- Short-term regional courses, staff development workshops, and MPH curriculum refinement. To take advantage of complementary courses, peer-to-peer group learning and research networking opportunities, V-BRCH will leverage training activities conducted by other Fogarty-funded training programs in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa (South-South collaborative opportunities).
V-BRCH represents the culmination of years of collaboration in research and training between Vanderbilt and AKTH and will lay the foundation for sustainable development of clinical trials research focused on HIV-associated NCDs in Nigeria.