Training is a critical part of The Union's mission to build local capacity in research. Union experts offer training in protocol development, data collection analysis, as well as other skills, in a variety of formats from 1-day workshops to multi-week residential courses.

OR course with MSF

In collaboration with Médecins sans Frontières, The Union has developed a unique course in operational research that has had outstanding results. First offered in 2009, this course is held in three modules over a nine-month period. Each module requires participants to complete specific tasks in order to go forward to the next. By the end, they have designed a protocol, carried out the research, analysed the results, written up a scientific paper and submitted the paper to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

The success of this approach is borne out by the results of the first three courses. These were attended by 34 participants, of whom 31 (91%) completed all milestones. A total of 35 papers were submitted to peer-review journals, of which 25 were in press or published by December 31st 2011.

Another important aspect of the course is that participants are selected and invited to serve as facilitators for subsequent courses, thereby gaining skills as trainers themselves.

OR fellows programme

The OR fellows programme provides training and mentorship for six invited fellows from Vietnam, Malawi, India, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Brazil- however, the fellow from Brazil has moved to academia. There are four other research fellows appointed through MOUs with the DTTC in Cape Town and Ampath in Kenya. Since the start of the fellowship programme, there have been 55 research projects: 39 projects have been completed and papers written and submitted for publication in peer review journals, of which 30 were published or in press by December 31st, 2011.

[Click here for course details.].