# Guyana Research in Injury and Trauma Training (GRITT) Program

> **NIH NIH D43** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2022 · $262,120

## Abstract

Self-harm, violence and road accidents, the leading causes of mortality in Guyana, engender preventable, yet
sustained public health crises. Guyana’s trauma/injury mortality burden is the highest in South America, with its
suicide rate (80% pesticide ingestion) the third highest in the world. Fortunately, the Guyanese leadership, both
academic and governmental, have demonstrated a strong public health commitment to addressing these
problems. Unfortunately, however, the country does not currently have research capacity in trauma/injury
prevention on which to build evidence-based, context-specific prevention strategies. We propose, therefore, a
cross-national, cross-institutional collaboration, to transition their current capacity in trauma/injury research, by
jointly creating the Guyana Research in Injury and Trauma Training (GRITT) Program, a Sister Program of the
Columbia (University) Center for Injury Science and Prevention (CCISP). GRITT will provide in-depth training in
research design and methods, combined with jointly mentoring trainees through intensive, hands-on research
projects and by facilitating entry into advanced degree programs (Masters or Ph.D.). GRITT will be built on
collaboration between the Columbia University and Guyana’s Ministry of Health ongoing NIMH funded
longitudinal epidemiological national study of suicide. The primary institutions devoted to establishing and
sustaining GRITT are the University of Guyana, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, and Columbia’s
Mailman School of Public Health Dept. of Epidemiology. In a transparent, competitive process designed to
ensure under-represented participation, GRITT will train along four pathways, allowing for variations in discipline,
levels of expertise, professional roles and geared toward pursuit of a Masters or PhD in the area of trauma/injury
research. The four research training pathways are: (1) Health Professionals in the Accident and Emergency
Department and the Guyana Emergency Medical Services will receive individual mentoring and participate in
collaborative on-the-job research projects designed to enhance careers as researchers in trauma/injury
prevention; (2) Medical Residents will be offered training in research methods and group/individual mentoring
focused on trauma/injury; (3) Masters students (Public Health, Nursing, Social Work, Psychology, Education,
Pharmacy) will be offered research-focused virtual courses, intensive summer training, and a jointly mentored
research practicum/project on a trauma/injury topic, geared to pursuit of a research career, including a Ph.D.,
and; (4) Health care Post-Bacs, participating in a Columbia University Certificate program will receive on-line
training in research methods and will be supported for a Masters degree focused on injury/trauma prevention.
Also, in the first six-months and then on a regular basis, GRITT faculty, staff and local Mentors will participate in
workshops focused on research methods, including identif...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10490413
- **Project number:** 5D43TW012189-02
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Christina W. Hoven
- **Activity code:** D43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $262,120
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-15 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10490413

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10490413, Guyana Research in Injury and Trauma Training (GRITT) Program (5D43TW012189-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10490413. Licensed CC0.

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