Fogarty AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP)

The NIH Fogarty International Center's AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP) has trained nearly 2,000 foreign researchers over the past 20 years. Most remain in their countries to battle the epidemic, train young scientists, and move into government health leadership. UNC has been a training partner in the AITRP program since 1998 and operates in China, Cameroon and Malawi.

The Malawi training program supports long- and short-term HIV/AIDS research training, and UNC works with international partners to recruit trainees who will be hired at partner institutions in Malawi after they leave the program.

Malawi’s research training needs include training in epidemiology to improve disease surveillance, training in behavioral epidemiology and social sciences to develop and implement culturally appropriate intervention programs, medical training in HIV care, technology transfer and training in laboratory techniques, and research training to improve implementation of PMTCT.

The training opportunities below are designed to strengthen UNC Project's research capacity and improve care for Malawians.

Long-term training

• Post-graduate infectious disease medicine and research
• Post-doctoral fellowship in microbiology and immunology
• Masters of public health in epidemiology
• Library science
• Laboratory technology and management science

Medium-term training

• Laboratory science
• HIV resistance testing
• Lab management
• Clinical management of STDs
• Library Science

Short-term training

• Short courses (Principles of STD/HIV Research short course in Seattle, NIH network meetings such as HPTN, MTN, IMPAACT, CHAVI, and ACTG, and CROI and IAS meetings)
• The Health Sciences Research Committee Dissemination
• The annual Malawi CTU consortium retreat (UNC, Johns Hopkins University, Malawi College of Medicine, Malawi Ministry of Health)
• IRB workshops
• HIV counseling
• HIV care/clinical research 

For more information, including how to apply, visit the AITRP website.