New York University-University of Ghana Research Integrity Training Program (NYU-UG RITP) - The proposed program will continue to build sustainable research ethics and integrity capacity in Ghana through a partnership between New York University Grossman School of Medicine (NYU GSOM) and the University of Ghana School of Public Health (UG SPH). The NYU-UG Research Integrity Training Program (NYU-UG RITP) supports NIH’s mission by strengthening ethical oversight and research integrity for NIH-funded international research, helping ensure that data used by U.S. researchers and policymakers are valid, reliable, and relevant to improving health. Ghana is a justified setting because it hosts more than 200 active NIH-supported projects, over 70% of which are concentrated at the University of Ghana. Active NIH-supported studies in Ghana include malaria vector genomics (R01AI123074), HIV pharmacogenomics (R21AI186750), cardiovascular genomics in sickle cell disease (U54HL141011), and pediatric data science initiatives (U2RTW012129). These studies address areas directly relevant to U.S. public health priorities, including infectious diseases, genomics, cardiovascular disorders, child health, and implementation research. They also require strong oversight of informed consent, participant protections, privacy, biospecimen governance, and responsible data use. Strengthening ethics and integrity systems in Ghana will help ensure that NIH-supported studies generate reliable evidence for U.S. biomedical and public health decision-making. The program will address training needs through three integrated initiatives. First, it will strengthen faculty capacity and enhance the MSc in Bioethics Program at UG SPH through US-Ghana faculty exchange, faculty development, short courses, mentoring, co-teaching, and annual evaluations to support self-sufficiency. Second, it will deliver short courses and workshops, informed by needs assessments, for personnel in Ghana’s research ethics system. Third, it will expand the NYU-UG RITP, training 24 fellows and strengthening local regulatory, educational, and mentoring systems. The Fellowship Program will train two cohorts of 12 fellows, each including 6 trainees from Ghana, 3 from Liberia, and 3 from Sierra Leone. Six outstanding fellows will enroll in the UG SPH MSc program to prepare for future faculty or training leadership roles. Fellows will be selected from researchers with MD, master’s, or doctoral training in relevant fields, building on their research expertise and knowledge of local health needs. The one-year Fellowship will include intensive training in research ethics, research integrity, and collaborative scholarship. Fellows will complete either a practicum in ethical review or a mentored research project on a locally significant ethics or integrity issue. Courses will be co-developed by NYU GSOM and UG SPH faculty and contextualized by UG SPH faculty using locally grounded ethical frameworks. Graduates will strengthen research ethics systems in Ghana and the West Africa subregion, including through WAREN and other Fogarty-supported networks.
