ABSTRACT
Chronic cardiometabolic and renal disorders are rapidly growing public health problems in low- and middle-
income countries (LMICs) such as Ethiopia. Responses to chronic conditions in LMICs are limited by a lack of
adequate research capacity and translation of established evidence into practice and policy. Although a great
deal of attention has been given to implementation science, there remains very few funded initiatives to
strengthen the capacity of team science as it relates to implementation and research, and none have examined
chronic conditions. In addition, there are very few mid-to-senior level career mentors in LMICs who can support
individuals and teams to work effectively towards practice and policy changes. We propose to address these
limitations through sustainable multidisciplinary research using implementation and team science in Ethiopia.
Teams from Emory University, Addis Ababa University (AAU) and Bahir Dar University co-designed the
Training on ImplemenTAtioN and team Science for NCD Control (TITANS) program in Ethiopia. This program
will provide a unique opportunity to strengthen capacity within and between higher education institutions in an
urban setting (Addis Ababa University) and a rural setting (Bahir Dar University) in Ethiopia. Within each
institution in Ethiopia, we will bring together a team of researchers from nursing, medicine, and public health
backgrounds to address pressing NCD prevention and control implementation issues across the lifespan using
a team science approach. We will recruit 24 trainees (two per discipline per year, 24 total for four years). The
postdoctoral trainees will spend 4-months on the Emory campus taking selected courses and will develop an
interdisciplinary team science project to be implemented over the following 8-months in Ethiopia with guidance
from in-country and Emory mentors. We will leverage graduates from our other successful D43 training
programs in Ethiopia to provide sustainable in-country mentorship. To strengthen our partner LMIC institutions
from within, we will deliver our successful annual short course on implementation science and team science
that can cultivate organizational management skills. TITANS will better ensure high in-country retention of
trainees by providing stipends, local mentorship, embedding trainee projects in existing platforms, and
motivating a culture of scholarly productivity. This program aspires to facilitate locally driven research that will
shape chronic disease initiatives and policies in Ethiopia.