PhD Workshop and Activity Schedule
NOTE: Programme details are all subject to national and international COVID-19 travel and contact teaching regulations and guidelines that may be imposed and retracted from time-to time.
This NIH/FIC award requires 36 weeks (9 months) of contact time over 4 years. What follows is a schedule of activities and events throughout the 5 years of the programme and what activities it consists of. Note also that this contact time is technically ‘not-for-credit’ in this supplementary programme, but full attendance and participation is required. Scheduling is to be regarded as flexible, due to COVID-19 and other contingencies.
The Schedule / Programme
NOTE: Programme details are all subject to national and international COVID-19 travel and contact teaching regulations and guidelines that may be imposed and retracted from time-to time.
This NIH/FIC award requires 36 weeks (9 months) of contact time over 4 years. What follows is a schedule of activities and events throughout the 5 years of the programme and what activities it consists of. Note also that this contact time is technically ‘not-for-credit’ in this supplementary programme, but full attendance and participation is required. Scheduling is to be regarded as flexible, due to COVID-19 and other contingencies.
Year 1 (One)
The six-week on-site SARETI induction and selection programme will comprise the following elements:
- Registration and orientation
- Introduction to the programme and overview of the three programme themes
- Site visits (e.g., CAPRISA, HPP, KRISP, HAVEG, DTTC, FAMCRU)
- Introduction to qualitative and quantitative research designs, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, responsible conduct of research / research integrity, and how to research a bioethics/research ethics question
- Candidate presentations and evaluations
- Consultations between candidates and SARETI executive/faculty to discuss, develop and refine PhD research proposal
- Research, preparation and presentation of PhD proposals by all candidates
- Final evaluation and ranking; feedback provided to each candidate on selection decision
- Formal announcement of selection outcomes
- Certificates of attendance to, and departure of, unsuccessful candidates (armed with their research proposals)
Successful candidates continue to work with supervisors (and co-supervisors) to prepare their research proposals for PhD colloquium presentation. Proposals will then be submitted to the UKZN REC for ethics review and approval. At the end of week 10, fellows return home awaiting the outcome of the ethics review, and continue working on their proposals and applying for site permissions (if applicable).
About six months after the initial 10-week training, protocol development and orientation phase described above, the fellows will attend a further 4-week on-site training and development series of workshops and site visits.
- Workshop: Quantitative and qualitative data analysis:
- Qualitative: Introduction to NVivo; hands-on training in the use of NVivo; basic qualitative analytic skills training; introduction to discourse analysis
- Quantitative: Hands-on introduction to free online statistical software called R; basic data analytic techniques (more advanced innovative data analytic techniques including multilevel modelling will be taught)
- Attendance at REC meetings (HSRC and BREC)
- Meetings and discussions with supervisors
- Workshop: Models for conceptualising research ethics problems, including critical thinking skills
- Workshop: Advanced and critical skills in the structure and functioning of RECs, including an overview of digital REC/IRB document management systems
- Review of all major ethics guidelines, including 45-CFR-46, Belmont, CIOMS (2016), Helsinki (2013), UNAIDS guidance documents (2011, 2012) and UNESCO guidance documents
Fellows return home to continue their thesis research work.
Year 2 (Two)
To be confirmed
Year 2 visit to UKZN for supervision and advanced research ethics workshops:
- Renewed contact with supervisor for thesis supervision
- Workshop: African value systems, personhood and their implications for bioethics and research ethics
- Workshop: Research integrity and responsible conduct of research
- Open advanced workshops on selected topics
- Attendance and observation of REC meetings at HSRC and UKZN BREC
Fellows return home to continue work on their research theses, with ongoing virtual supervision.
Year 3 (Three)
Fellows will travel to UKZN for a six week block of workshops and a week of working on their theses with their supervisors and personal development contact with their mentors.
- Peer research thesis colloquium
- Meetings with supervisors and mentors
- Workshop: Best practices in higher education
- Workshop: Grant writing skills
- Workshop: Manuscript writing skills
- Open advanced workshops on selected topics in research ethics
- Attendance and observation of REC meetings at HSRC and UKZN BREC
Fellows return home to continue work on their research theses.
Year 4 (Four)
Fellows will travel to UKZN for a five-week block of supervision and advanced workshops. By this stage, fellows should have their literature reviews completed and have collected their data for their PhD and be in a data analysis phase of their work.
- Contact time with supervisors
- Workshop: Media workshop to introduce fellows to special features of media engagement with science for the general public
- Open advanced workshops on selected topics in research ethics
- Attendance and observation of REC meetings at HSRC and UKZN BREC
Fellows return home to continue work on their research theses.
Year 5 (Five)
The final two weeks of the programme will be held on-site at UKZN. By year five, fellows’ research theses (and/or papers) should be in an advanced stage of preparation for final examination, or already submitted for examination.
- Final supervision of theses for final examination
- Final progress evaluation with mentors
- Final preparation for and hosting of AHRES IV*
- Closing ceremony
* AHRES is the SARETI African Health Research Ethics Symposium that SARETI launched and hosted in 2006, 2010 and 2018. This event will be directed by our senior executive member, Dr IJsselmuiden. AHRES showcases the work of SARETI fellows to a wider African and international audience, and creates opportunities for learning and networking, an important element of leadership training in bioethics. The SARETI International Advisory Committee and all SARETI faculty will attend. SARETI fellows will write this grant with the support of the SARETI leadership, to provide an active real-time grant writing experience, probably targeting the SAMRC, EDCTP and Wellcome. Faculty and fellows from other African FIC ethics training programmes will also be invited to attend AHRES.
SARETI fellows will be keynote speakers at AHRES IV, presenting their PhD research findings and reflecting on the leadership programme in retrospect. SARETI faculty will also present critical reflections on the programme, including the adequacy of the supervision and mentorship elements. The format of AHRES allows for critical engagement from the floor, similar to that facilitated by our long collective involvement with the Global Forum for Bioethics in Research.
Fellows will also be involved actively in the planning and hosting of this event, to ensure that they develop and implement conference planning and hosting skills.