D43TW012275

Addressing the Research Capacity Gap in Global Child and Adolescent Health Disparities Utilizing Implementation and Data Sciences Among Vulnerable Populations in Resource-Limited Settings (ACHIEVE) - Project Abstract

Significant advances in global health have been achieved in recent decades. Yet, serious disparities in health outcomes persist, especially among children, adolescents, and their adult caregivers. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is one of the regions disproportionately burdened by multiple health threats, including endemic communicable diseases, emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, increasing incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and a set of exacerbating factors that have contributed to poor public health and increased overall disease burden affecting children, adolescents, and their adult caregivers. Similar trends are documented in several other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including countries in Asia and Eastern Europe.

In light of widespread health inequities and gaps in the translation and uptake of scientific evidence in real-world settings in LMICs, dissemination and implementation (D&I) science can advance timely and context-specific public health solutions. Moreover, significant methodological advances in data science can create new opportunities to more accurately identify at-risk populations, better understand patterns and mechanisms of health burdens, and allow for more in-depth analysis of implementation gaps and disparities in healthcare systems and across populations in LMICs.

The proposed research training program, entitled "Addressing the Research Capacity Gap in Global Child, Adolescent & Family Health Disparities Utilizing Implementation and Data Sciences Among Vulnerable Populations in Resource-Limited Settings (ACHIEVE)," focuses on increasing D&I and data science capacity to address global health disparities affecting children, adolescents, and their adult caregivers. The program addresses the following specific aims:

AIM 1: To provide a research training program to five cohorts (~50 trainees) of healthcare professionals and post-doctoral trainees from the U.S., and post-professional degree graduates from SSA that equips trainees with D&I and data science research skills and knowledge through experiential learning, mentoring, "hands-on" immersion in global health implementation and data science research and methodologies, individualized consultation, goal setting and monitoring, and web-based support across time.

AIM 2: Bring together an interprofessional network of committed mentors from the global north and the global south to promote equitable bi-directional learning and collaboration and ensure quality training for promising new investigators committed to applying D&I and data science research methods to address health disparities impacting children, adolescents, and their families in low-resource settings.

AIM 3: To examine the short-term and longitudinal outcomes of the ACHIEVE training program.

AIM 4: Delineate key factors that underlie successful mentorship and training of new investigators – with potential implications for new investigators who are focused on D&I and data science research that seek to address health disparities impacting children, adolescents, and their adult caregivers.

The four U.S. universities have each committed matching funds totaling $600,000 to support the ACHIEVE program.

New York University

THE JOHN E. FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER (FIC) SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING TO REDUCE DISPARITIES IN GLOBAL HEALTH AND TO FOSTER PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN U.S. SCIENTISTS AND THEIR COUNTERPARTS ABROAD. FIC SUPPORTS BASIC BIOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH, AS WELL AS RELATED RESEARCH TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT. THE RESEARCH PORTFOLIO IS DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT A WIDE VARIETY OF FUNDING MECHANISMS TO MEET PROGRAMMATIC OBJECTIVES.

93.310 - Trans-NIH Research Support

Fogarty International Center (FIC) [HHS - NIH]

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) [HHS - NIH]

New York, New York 100122338 United States

Single Zip Code

Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional) (PA-20-272)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 05/31/27 to 06/30/26 and the total obligations have increased 557% from $850,000 to $5,581,520.