Vanderbilt-Nigeria Research Administration and Management Training Program (V-RAMP)

PROJECT ABSTRACT The increasing volume and complexity of research activities at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in Kano, Nigeria necessitates urgent measures to improve research infrastructure in grants administration and management.

The overall goal of this training program is to build infrastructure capacity in research administration and management and research ethics at AKTH in Nigeria to support the many HIV-related research projects and clinical trials, both planned and underway, at this site.

To achieve the aims outlined in this application, we will perform a mixed methods needs assessment of the research administration and management environment in AKTH in year 1 and generate an Action Plan that will identify infrastructure needs, prioritize processes, and guide program implementation.

We will capacitate the newly established AKTH Office of Research Administration and improve the knowledge and skills of AKTH research administrators and grant managers via short term in-person trainings at Vanderbilt, in Kano, Nigeria and by remote learning opportunities.

We will enhance the administrative efficiency and performance of research ethics operations at AKTH through training and mentoring of AKTH IRB members and office staff and the development and implementation of systematic processes to streamline protocols, to include a REDCap protocol tracking database and standard operating procedures in research ethics and responsible conduct of research.

The proposed infrastructure training award will enable the creation of a high-quality research administration environment at AKTH that is knowledgeable and compliant with the fiscal, management, and ethical standards of sponsored HIV-related research.