While at MSU, the trainee will be assigned pair of research mentors
suitable for the trainee’s background discipline and planned area of research
and scholarship—one from MSU and one from the University of Malawi.
These projects could address any of a variety of issues. The only
requirement is that the research be focused on the issue as it arises within
the African context. Although most research projects will concern problems
in the ethics of biomedical research, there may be instances of projects
addressing human subjects dimensions of social science research (of which
there is a great deal in Malawi).
While the trainee is in residence at MSU, the mentors will help the
trainee begin developing a feasible research plan, in electronic collaboration
with Prof. Mfutso-Bengo and the Visiting Professor. This collaboration will
take place on a password-protected web site, and will continue when the
trainee has returned to Malawi.
Once back in Malawi, the trainee will continue to develop and
implement the project, under the direct supervision of the trainee’s
University of Malawi mentor, Prof. Mfutso-Bengo, and the Visiting Professor;
and in electronic collaboration with the MSU- based mentor.
Upon the trainee’s completion of the required course work, and at the
point that the research project is ready to be developed into a final written
form, the MSU mentor will travel to Malawi for 10 days, to work intensively
with the trainee and the Malawi mentor. Under the guidance of the mentors,
the trainee will write a final research report suitable for publication, which will
be submitted to appropriate scholarly or medical journals. The trainee will be
listed as lead author.
While in Malawi, the MSU mentor will also be available for guest
lectures, and for consulting on additional collaborative research projects with
Malawi faculty
The
trainee’s planned course
Trainees will be required to develop a course related to issues in
research ethics. This could be a standard, university-level course; or a short-
course. It could be designed for any of a variety of audiences, including
university or medical students, researchers, IRB members, health care
administrators, governmental officials, or lay persons. As part of their
training agreement, trainees will have pledged to teach the course at least
once, and will have secured the needed support from their institution to
make it possible for them to do so.
Trainees will begin the development of their course plan while in
Malawi, under the direct supervision of Prof. Mfutso-Bengo and the Visiting
Professor, and collaborating electronically with the trainee’s MSU mentor.
While the MSU mentor is in Malawi, the trainee will complete the course
syllabus and assemble all course materials.
