# Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Partnership (SHARP) for Mental Health Capacity Building - Capacity-Building

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $2

## Abstract

CAPACITY BUILDING CORE – ABSTRACT
 The Capacity Building Core (CBC) for the sub-Saharan Africa Regional Partnership for Mental Health
Capacity Building (SHARP) responds to the large mental health treatment gap in sub-Saharan Africa by
targeting both researchers and policy makers through capacity building initiatives. These initiatives include
developing implementation research and research application skillsets, providing opportunities for applying
newly acquired skills, and creating a platform for outcome driven dialogue between researchers and
policymakers. CBC activities will benefit from UNC’s demonstrated expertise in the fields of implementation
science and mental health and the institution’s strong existing partnerships with the Malawi Ministry of Health,
University of Malawi College of Medicine, Partners in Health, Tanzania Ministry of Health, and Muhimbili
University of Health and Allied Sciences.
 The CBC proposes to (1) provide a short course program for key skills to ensure participants can design
and conduct implementation research on contextually appropriate, evidence-based mental health interventions
and translate that research into routine practice; (2) develop a multi-faceted platform to facilitate dialogue
between researchers and policymakers in governmental, academic, and non-governmental institutions; (3)
provide opportunities to engage in applied implementation science research and apply for pilot grants involving
research and policy teams; and (4) create a Mentor the Mentors program to develop researcher and
policymakers trainees who can serve as independent mentors to medical and public health students.
 Our proposed program ensures that researchers and policymakers will have both the skills and
infrastructure needed to meaningfully appraise and efficiently apply evidence-based care and treatment
models to mental health disorders such as depression, which are prevalent in LMIC settings and associated
with significant morbidity and mortality. Our approach reflects an appreciation of the LMIC context and an
understanding that sustained capacity rests on engaging trainees with a breadth of perspectives and providing
them with a depth of knowledge and structured opportunities to practice and share that knowledge. Our multi-
pronged approach has been designed by a dedicated cohort of local and international experts with a proven
record of mentorship and meaningful collaboration and holds the promise of bringing transformative and
transferable change to LMICs burdened by high mental health care treatment gaps.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10129552
- **Project number:** 3U19MH113202-03S2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** VIVIAN F. GO
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $2
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10129552

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10129552, Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Partnership (SHARP) for Mental Health Capacity Building - Capacity-Building (3U19MH113202-03S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10129552. Licensed CC0.

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