Strengthening Training and Research Initiatives for Vietnam to Effectively Managing Non-Communicable Diseases (STRIVE-NCD) - Summary. We propose a renewal training program entitled “Strengthening Training and Research Initiatives for Vietnam to Effectively Managing Non-Communicable Diseases (STRIVE-NCD)” Our initial training program in partnership with Hanoi Medical University (HMU), the Vietnamese Ministry of Health (VMOH), and UMass Chan Medical School made significant inroads in strengthening NCD research capacity in Vietnam. Nonetheless, the VMOH expressed the need for continued partnership to strengthen research capacity in the clinical and population health sciences. We will expand our existing program to other areas identified by the VMOH, including substance use, digital health, and health systems science. Our current D43 Training Program for Strengthening Research Capacity in Non-Communicable Diseases in Vietnam (2019- 2025) accomplished its two aims: (1) we developed a program in NCDs including the establishment of a new Postdoctoral fellows training program and a new Master’s program in Epidemiology in English; and (2) we established an NCD administrative Research Unit at HMU in close collaboration with the VMOH. Our trainees (n =24 ) have conducted research in diverse array of critical and public health areas, including aging, cardiovascular disease, cancer, men’s health, pediatrics, HIV, clinical genetics, and health policy. During the past five years, our trainees have published 85 papers in international (23 first author) and 82 in Vietnamese peer-reviewed journals (25 first author). Our trainees have also received extramural funding (n = 10) from domestic and international sources (eg. NIH fellowships, NIH grants) and gone on to matriculate in doctoral programs (n =3). The Specific Aims of the newly proposed STRIVE-NCD training program are to: Aim 1. Expand the existing Postdoctoral Scholars (PS) Programs to include: (a) a Fellowship in Research and Innovation for NCDs (FIND-PS), (b) a Substance Use Research and Education Initiative (SURE-PS), and (c) a Digital Health and Health Systems Science Program (DASH-PS). Aim 2. Build the foundation for long-term impact, continuity, and sustainability by establishing: (a) a Mentorship Engagement and New Training Program (MENT) for emerging mentors, (b) a Support and Enhancement for Emerging Scholar Development (SEED). We will also strengthen the administrative capacity of the NCD Research Unit to meet the growing needs of long- term training and research activities. STRIVE-NCD will further bolster the country’s research capacity, including the pool and expertise of junior investigators, and expand to other pressing areas of clinical and public health concern. With 10 years of sustained collaboration, our team includes accomplished scientists from the VMOH, HMU, and UMass Chan who are serving in leadership roles at their institution and in our current NIH-funded work. For several NIH-funded clinical trials, the VMOH has committed to sustaining proven interventions as part of the national public health infrastructure, and this robust research portfolio provides a strong foundation for hands-on experience of STRIVE-NCD trainees.
