programs
PROGRAMS IN RESEARCH TRAINING IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA)

Our AITRP provides specialized training opportunities in HIV/AIDS and AIDS-related research in the USA for predoctoral and postdoctoral candidates lasting from 3 months to up to 4 years.  At the end of the training period, the candidates are required to return to their home country to strengthen research initiatives and establish long-term collaboration between US investigators and foreign researchers in the fight against the AIDS epidemic.  Training is funded by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health.

Training sites:

• Nebraska Center for Virology at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln
• University of Miami School of Medicine
• University of Alabama at Birmingham
• United States Center for Disease Control

TYPES OF TRAINING PROGRAMS

Fellows may pursue either long-term or short-term training in one of three tracks:

1) Basic research

• Intensive academic instruction at the University of Nebraska leading to MS and PhD degrees in biomedical sciences/virology, or MPH degree in the School of Public Health.
• Biomedical research rotations at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Miami to investigate the role of HIV, human papilloma virus, KSHV, and EBV in the development of AIDS-associated malignancies, and train in advanced laboratory methods to detect pathogens and monitor HIV genotypes and drug resistance.

2) Clinical research

• Rotations in the clinical management of AIDS, anti-viral treatments, and AIDS-associated malignancies at the University of Miami where faculty trainers specialize in working with two distinct segments of a population – infected adults and infected children.

3) Epidemiology and socio-behavioral research (including biostatistics)

• Training in epidemiology and behavioral aspects of HIV-AIDS and AIDS-associated malignancies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska Medical Center to improve in-country data analysis and facilitate the development and evaluation of public health intervention strategies.

Postdoctoral Program (up to 2 years)
Physicians, basic scientists, epidemiologists, sociologists, or psychologists, with an MD and/or PhD, good quantitative skills and an interest in infectious diseases, cancer, and epidemiology, are encouraged to apply.  This program offers a combination of some academic courses and advanced research rotations and may last up to two years.

MS, MPH and PhD Program (2-4 years)
This program offers predoctoral graduate training up to four years with an emphasis in applied, molecular and cancer epidemiology, and pathobiology of infectious diseases, as well as programs in public health.  It is open to students with strong undergraduate records in any medically related field.

Specialized Training (3-6 months)
This program offers short-term training from 3-6 months for individuals with a specialized skill in one of the following:   1) laboratory research on HIV, HHV-8, HPV, and EBV disease pathogenesis and pathology; 2) clinical trials and management of pediatric AIDS and cancer malignancies; and 3) epidemiology and behavioral aspects of HIV/AIDS. 

Undergraduate In-Country Training (Zambia only)
Scholarships are available to fund exceptional undergraduates who are seeking a BS degree in a related field and/or for short courses of study in Zambia.

In-Country Workshops
Workshops are conducted annually in both China and Zambia for health care professionals on a variety of related topics.