International Research Ethics Fellowship, 10/01

The 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 from sub-Saharan Africa. The fellowship will provide funding for scientists to study bioethics and research ethics, and also to do an independent project in their home country related to research ethics. The program is directed by Drs. Nancy Kass and Adnan Hyder of the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Who should apply for the fellowship program? Appropriate candidates include researchers who are working at universities, government ministries, private organizations and other relevant health research institutions who have a strong interest in international research ethics and other professionals working with institutional review boards or in the field of international research ethics in developing countries. We will be accepting pre- and post-doctoral fellows. Predoctoral fellows must have a bachelors degree in any relevant field. Post-doctoral fellows must have a M.D., Ph.D. or the equivalent. Fellows 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 fellowship program based? The fellowship program is a one-year program. For six months, from January through June, fellows will be based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA at The Bloomberg School of Hygiene and Public Health of the Johns Hopkins University, attending classes, seminars and other relevant training opportunities. For the second half of the training year, from July through December, fellows will return to their home country and conduct an independent project related to research ethics under the supervision of mentor(s) in the U.S. and in their host country.

What type of training do fellows receive? All fellows will take courses in bioethics, research ethics and international research ethics. There will be opportunities for them to take other courses that might be of interest, such as health services research methods, epidemiology or international health systems. Fellows 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 or NIH.

What type of projects will fellows be involved in when they return home? Funding will be provided for fellows 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 ethics that is of interest to the fellow. Mentors from both abroad and the U.S. will provide guidance and support during the project period by email.

When does the fellowship program begin? Three fellows will be accepted into the program to start in January, 2002.

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

What type of support do fellows 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 to Baltimore, Maryland Local transportation (for relevant meetings in Washington, D.C.) Access to library facilities at Johns Hopkins University and Georgetown University Access to computer facilities at Johns Hopkins University Funds to support research costs for 6-month independent study in their home country

How do I apply for the fellowship program? Application for 2002 fellows are due on October 1, 2001. All application material can be downloaded from The Johns Hopkins University Bioethics Institute website: http://www.med.jhu.edu/bioethics_institute

Application material can be submitted by fax, or by courier mail to:

Mr. Shawn Storer The Johns Hopkins University Bioethics Institute 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House, Room 348 Baltimore, MD 21205, USA Tel: +1-410-614-1235 Fax: +1-410-614-9567 mailto:sstorer@jhsph.edu

Whom can I contact for more information about the fellowship program? Please write to Dr. Suzanne Maman for any further information about the program or the application process:

Suzanne Maman, PhD Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health Department of International Health 615 N. Wolfe Street, Room E7146 Baltimore, MD 21205, USA Tel: +1-410-614-7553 Fax: +1-410-431-5036 mailto:smaman@jhsph.edu

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