Several programs - in different stages of development and deployment - aim to assist developing countries to build capacity in healthcare and science, administration and management of international externally funded programs, and the academic discipline of global health.

• The Healthcare Workforce - Tanzania
• Administration & Management of International Externally Funded Projects
• Sandwich Program
• UCSF MS/PhD in Global Health Sciences

The Healthcare Workforce - Tanzania

In the context of shaping a new partnership paradigm, and responding to the urgent need to build healthcare workforce capacity for rapid antiretroviral scale-up, UCSF Global Health Sciences is currently working with Tanzania to develop a model healthcare workforce training program. Although the urgent need to create capacity to treat those with HIV/AIDS is the impetus, the overall objective is to develop a sustainable workforce at all skill and need levels.

Based on the assumption that a national, coordinated training program would create efficiencies and improve quality, the goal of the interinstitutional planning group in Tanzania is to develop a pilot model that can be applied to all districts throughout the country. This is a novel approach that will be carefully evaluated. UCSF faculty across schools and disciplines will participate in curriculum development and clinical training alongside counterparts in Tanzania.

Details of the proposal will be posted here as they are finalized.

Clinicians interested in more information or in participating may contact Chuck Smukler.

Administration & Management Of International Externally Funded Projects

UCSF Global Health Sciences is proposing to develop a program to build capacity in the administration and management of externally funded projects in resource-constrained countries.

A priority need for institutions in Africa and Asia is trained individuals to manage externally funded research and training projects. External funding from sources such as governmental and international organizations, private foundations, and Western academic institutions has become increasingly available to institutions in many countries, but without expertise in both seeking and managing this financial support, initial funding and funded projects are threatened. This situation is complicated by the unique and different requirements of donors, but there are commonalities that can be addressed through a well-designed training program. Course modules such as how to write a grant, compliance with human subjects research requirements, ethical business practices are some areas common to administering funded projects.

Global Health Sciences is guided by the principle that although the challenges may be different between developed and developing countries, obstacles exist throughout the chain of external fund administration and management and all players must participate equally in identifying problems and developing solutions. Therefore, UCSF Global Health Sciences is actively working with partners in Tanzania and Uganda to develop a training program to address this deficit. Institutions in Viet Nam have also expressed a keen interest.

With that principle in mind, in the spring of 2004, UCSF Global Health Sciences initiated a planning process to, initially, develop a comprehensive list of existing problems and obstacles upon which to base curriculum development.

A retreat held on June 7, 2004, brought together more than 25 people from UCSF, Makerere University (Uganda) and National Institute of Medical Research (Tanzania) who have primary involvement in some aspect of administration and management of externally funded projects to identify problems and propose solutions.

Status: Input from key US institutions and identifying a funding source is the next step.

Sandwich Program to Develop Leaders in Science and Healthcare in Developing Countries.

As part of its mandate to develop science and healthcare leadership around the world, UCSF Global Health Sciences is currently developing a sandwich graduate program. Recruitment of highly trained individuals from resource-poor countries by Western institutions (brain drain) contributes significantly to the lack of a critical mass of science and healthcare leaders in those countries. Sandwich programs are one tool used to prevent brain drain.

The UCSF sandwich program will be structured similarly to most such programs:

• Fields of study are determined by the partner institution and are aligned with that country's health priorities.
• Curriculum and admission criteria are developed jointly by UCSF and the partner institution.
• Trainees will have to meet UCSF admission criteria.
• Trainees are selected by the partner institution and complete the initial part of their training at that school, come to UCSF for 1-2 years of advanced training and then return home to complete their project and receive their degree.
• Trainees work at UCSF will be acknowledged with a certificate.

Students in the sandwich programs will be eligible to participate in courses and seminars developed for November 30, 2007h the global health sciences intellectual community at UCSF.

Updates on planning will be posted as they develop.

UCSF MS/PhD in Global Health Sciences

There is increasing interest in developing programs to train students in Global Health Sciences. UCSF's response to this need is to establish a graduate program in Global Health Sciences. Recognizing that the development of an independent PhD program that will meet both the high standards of the University of California and our own faculty will take time, Global Health Sciences has implemented a short term and a long term strategy.

Short Term

Students who are enrolled in existing doctoral and masters programs will be offered the opportunity to be Global Health Sciences (GHS) scholars. They will pursue a GHS area of concentration within their degree program, taking additional required new courses and research activities in partner institutions in developing countries to ground them in the theory and practice of global health research. The new courses will focus on the special aspects, problems and opportunities of health and health problems of people in widely differing geographic settings, cultures, environmental threats, and economic situations.  These courses will draw upon disciplinary perspectives and research methodologies ranging from the bench sciences to clinical practices to epidemiology to social, behavioral and policy sciences. Each student will work with mentors to develop a project pertinent to a health problem in selected developing countries and spend up to a year pursuing this project in country.

Students (and faculty) will learn from each other by addressing common problems in different ways, and by learning to collaborate not only with each other, but also with colleagues in the developing world. This will begin to give students interested in the field of global health an intellectual community on campus while the requirements for establishing an independent graduate program is pursued.

The program is in the beginning phases this fall. An area of concentration in GHS has been offered to two scholars in Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and Biomedical Sciences. Future opportunities in Microbial Pathogenesis, Clinical Research, Social, Behavioral and Policy Sciences are envisioned. Interested students should contact the individuals listed below:
Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Dr. Charles Craik
Microbial Pathogenesis (Biomedical Sciences), Dr. James McKerrow
Clinical Research, Dr. Deborah Grady

Long Term

The long-term goal is to establish independent PhD and Master level programs in Global Health Sciences. This requires complying with a defined process within the University of California, a process that has already been initiated. A graduate group has been formed and the formal proposal to the UCSF Academic Senate is in the final stages of completion. The new courses described above will be the springboard for implementing the graduate program.

New information will be posted on this website as it becomes available.