# The UJMT Global Consortium: building research capacity through mentored training

> **NIH NIH D43** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2021 · $169,886

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Over the past five years, the UJMT Global Consortium – comprising the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, Johns Hopkins University, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Tulane University – has supported
mentored training at 28 affiliated sites in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). By all core metrics, the
UJMT fellowship program has been highly successful: 132 doctoral students and postdoctoral students trained,
109 manuscripts published (including 69 as first author), 204 conference abstracts presented, and ~$1.7
million in program co-funding raised. Over half of our postdoctoral fellows have taken academic positions after
completing the program; many have successfully competed for research funding, including from the NIH, to
become independently funded investigators. In the coming grant cycle (2017-2022), we will expand upon these
strengths to further build capacity in global health research. First, we will enrich the pool of talented US and
LMIC investigators committed to solving global health problems. We will recruit doctoral students and
postdoctoral fellows from 33 domestic training programs (i.e., T32) and 17 international programs (i.e., D43,
R25) affiliated with our institutions. We will provide 12-month, intensively mentored field opportunities that
connect trainees with experts across a wide range of scientific areas and disciplines. We will continue to foster
research in HIV/AIDS, non-communicable diseases, emerging infections, cancers, mental health, neurologic
disorders, and women's health. Second, we will implement and iteratively improve a program curriculum
tailored to the professional development goals of trainees, alumni, and mentors. We will build upon the
activities of our current program (e.g., scientific writing, webinars, core skills checklists), while enhancing new
areas such as cultural competency and global research ethics. We will also dedicate resources to improving
mentorship within our program, including support for trainees and mentors alike. Third, we will strategically
allocate resources to support LMIC site capacity building. We will competitively award funds for workshops and
short courses, specialty skills training, and equipment to support long-term research infrastructure. We will
collaborate with existing D43 training programs in our focus countries to maximize the impact of our
investments. In countries with high capacity (e.g., Malawi, Peru, Uganda), we will help to align and coordinate
ongoing activities; in countries with fewer dedicated resources for capacity building (e.g., Ghana, Sierra
Leone), we will facilitate South-South and North-South partnerships to identify gaps and prioritize needs for
future grant support. Our program leverages a unique set of resources, training faculty, and sites that directly
further four of the five strategic goals set forth by the Fogarty International Center in 2014: building research
capacity, supporting implementation science, advancing resear...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10432142
- **Project number:** 3D43TW009340-10S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** PIERRE BUEKENS
- **Activity code:** D43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $169,886
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2012-04-04 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10432142

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10432142, The UJMT Global Consortium: building research capacity through mentored training (3D43TW009340-10S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10432142. Licensed CC0.

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