There are two goals for the curriculum. One is to provide the
additional training necessary for an African scholar, medical researcher, or
administrator (“the trainee”) to add skills in research ethics scholarship or
research to his or her portfolio. The other is to enhance the number and
quality of courses (both standard and short-course) being offered through
African universities and health care institutions.
Trainees will be required to complete the following components:
-
Complete a set of foundational
courses at MSU and the
University of Malawi, based on individual advising, which are
supplemented by independent studies applied to the research
ethics context. (taught by a combination of MSU faculty, current
University of Malawi faculty, and a Visiting Professor of Bioethics)
- Attend a trainee seminar
- Complete a set of research-ethics specific courses
at the
University of Malawi. (Taught by Professor Mfutso- Bengo and
the Visiting Professor.)
- Develop and conduct a scholarly or research project
in Malawi or
the trainee’s home country, and write a report suitable for
publication.
- Develop and teach a course or short course on research
ethics
at the trainee’s home institution.
Foundational
courses: As already described,
trainees will have identified
both a background discipline, and a research area within which to develop a
project. Using those two factors, the project faculty will advise them which
foundational courses they should take. Those courses will be selected from
among already existing graduate-level courses at MSU and the University of
Malawi. While at MSU, trainees will also be required to attend at least one
non-credit training workshop related to grant-writing, course development,
or research ethics.
Michigan
State University Foundational Courses
The available foundational
courses at Michigan State include the following
(courses may not be offered every semester).
ANTHROPOLOGY 423 Psychological Anthropology
ANTHROPOLOGY 833 Ethnographic Analysis
ANTHROPOLOGY 834 Medical Anthropology I: Overview
ANTHROPOLOGY 835 Medical Anthropology II: Theory and Applied
Issues
HISTORY 425 American and European Health Care since 1800
HISTORY 803 Seminar in Methodology of Historical Research
HUMAN MEDICINE 820 Humanistic and Social Perspectives on Health
PHILOSOPHY 440 Central Issues in Ethics
PHILOSOPHY 444 Philosophical Issues in Biomedicine
PHILOSOPHY 840 Seminar in Value Theory
PHILOSOPHY 850 Seminar in Social and Political Philosophy*
PHILOSOPHY 870a Seminar in Philosophy of Health Care: Medical
Epistemology
PHILOSOPHY 870b Seminar in Philosophy of Health Care: Ethical
Theory & Medical Ethics
PHILOSOPHY 870c Seminar in Philosophy of Health Care: Justice in
Health Care
ENGLISH 483 Literature and Medicine
SOCIOLOGY 475 Sociology of Health Care Systems
SOCIOLOGY 476 Social Psychology of Health
SOCIOLOGY 851 Demography and Public Health
SOCIOLOGY 872 Social Psychology of Health Care
SOCIOLOGY 873 Social Organization of Health and Medicine
COMMUNICATION 825: Mass Communication and Public Health
COMMUNICATION 826: Health Communication for Diverse Populations
University
of Malawi Foundational Courses
PHILOSOPHY 420 African Philosophy
PHILOSOPHY: 410 Political Philosophy
THEOLOGY
AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES 411 African Theology
THEOLOGY
AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES 415 Religious Studies VI
THEOLOGY
AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES 416 Religious Studies VII
SOCIOLOGY 450 Social Policy and Planning
SOCIOLOGY 330 Research Methods in Sociology
POLITICAL
AND ADMINISTRATIVE STUDIES452
Constitutional &
Administrative Law
POLITICAL
AND ADMINISTRATIVE STUDIES471
Modern African Politics
Applied
Independent Studies
In all cases, each foundational course will be supplemented with a 1-
credit independent study that will explore the application of the theories,
concepts or methods being studied to the human subjects research context.
The goal will be to help the trainee understand how the specific theories or
methods being studied can be used to address issues in research ethics, so
that the discipline gets effectively used in the design, implementation, and
analysis of the trainee’s eventual research project. These independent
studies will be supervised by the regular course faculty when that individual is
qualified and willing. If not, it will be supervised by one of the project faculty
(see below).
The number of foundational courses required will be tailored to the
individual trainee, and will depend upon the level of the trainee’s prior
training, and its relationship to their planned area of research. It will not
exceed two semesters of full-time study. Trainees will spend one semester
at Michigan State, completing their foundational course work at the
University of Malawi as necessary.
Trainee
seminar
During
their traineeship, trainees will meet once every two weeks with
the PI or Project Director (Profs. Tomlinson or Mfutso-Bengo). The purpose
will be to discuss their course work, research projects, and course
development projects in a supportive and problem- solving atmosphere. In
this way, the trainees receive timely help with any emerging problems, and
develop a mutually supportive group identity. It also serves to alert the
project administrators to any problems which need to be addressed in the
design or conduct of the project.
Non-Credit
Workshops
While at Michigan State University, trainees will be required to
complete at least one workshop from among the following. Workshop
enrollment will be coordinated by Diane Doberneck, from MSU’s Office of
Research Ethics and Standards.
