Programme Objective

The overarching goal of the Emory-Nigeria HIV Research Training Program (EN-RTP) is to enhance the capacity of researchers focused on HIV/women’s health research in Nigeria, with the aim of promoting health and wellbeing for women living with HIV. It leverages the existing partnership between Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and three institutions in Lagos, Nigeria.

 Eligible Institutions

• Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and affiliates
• University of Lagos (UNILAG)
• AIDS Prevention Initiative Nigeria (APIN)

Trainees

The EN-RTP offers long-, medium-, and short-term training of emerging investigators, facilitating their acquisition of the skills needed to pursue an independent research career.  Below is a list of each training track and the requirements to apply:

Long Term (2 years)

• Applicant must either be: a registered postgraduate student at APIN, the University of Lagos or a NIMR affiliated university; a junior faculty at APIN or the University of Lagos; or a junior researcher at NIMR who is interested in developing a career in HIV and women’s health.
• If accepted into the programme, each trainee will be enrolled at Emory University as students in special standing so they can take semester-long distance learning courses. Course offerings include – but are not limited to – the following subject areas: grant writing, data management, etc.  Note that actual course offerings are based on availability.
• If accepted into programme, each trainee is expected to submit a grant such as the NIH K43 or equivalent grant application at the completion of the programme.

Medium Term (6 months)

• Applicant must either be a resident or junior scientist from the University of Lagos, APIN, or NIMR.
• This level of training will be directed at advanced early career investigators (employees or students from the partner institutions) who wish to enhance specific research skill sets. This training track will offer participation in in-country short coursework and one distance learning course at Emory University, if available.

Short Term (<3 months)

• Applicant must be an academic member at NIMR, The University of Lagos, or APIN who seeks to update or acquire new skills in advanced laboratory or other research techniques.
• This track is intended for senior researchers who wish to acquire a new skill needed to complete a particular project and/or enhance your research capability in general. Applicants must look for programs in Africa where they can acquire these skills and describe them in their proposals. Such training will include opportunities for the trainee to learn new and emerging technologies in HIV/women’s health research, social-behavioral science relevant to women living with HIV (WLWH) in low to middle-income countries (LMICs), specialized research procedures, advanced computational sciences and bioinformatics approaches, etc.

Budget Information

Trainees accepted into the program are given budgets based on the track they applied for.  Below is a description of the types of funds available.

Training expenses (Medium and short tracks only)

• $250/month up to 6 months (medium term) and 3 months (short term) support to acquire a specified training or research skill at a designated in-country facility of your choice.

Stipends (Long-term track only)

• Up to $2,100/year support to enable trainees to commit at least 50% of their professional time on research training.

Tuition and Fees (Long-term track only)

• Up to $700/year towards your MPH or PhD degree. Note the programme will only pay for tuition accrued during the time you are enrolled.

Technical expenses (Long-term track only)

• Up to $1,200/year for career development/research-related expenses. Research-related expenses include supplies, participant incentives, coordinator effort, etc.  Coverage of internet or communications directly related to your research can be provided as part of this budget on an as-needed basis.

Publications and Travel (All tracks)

• Financial support provided on as-needed basis. Expenses must be approved in advance by programme leadership.

Selection Criteria

Application reviewers focus on:

1. Demonstrated strengths and future potential of the candidate for a research career focused on HIV and women’s health;
2. Quality of previous training and accomplishments;
3. Strength and feasibility of the research training plan/project;
4. Potential impact of the research area and question (including innovation);
5. Adequacy of support from the candidate’s’ institution, research group and home division/department;
6. Quality, feasibility, and potential for success of the research project in case of long-term trainees; and
7. Likelihood for the research and the training plan to lead to a competitive grant application.

If you meet all eligibility requirements and are interested in applying, please click here for application instructions