VIRDE Class of 2017
The Vanderbilt Institute for Research Development and Ethics (VIRDE) is a one-month course on grant writing and research ethics facilitated by Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH). VIRDE 2017 brought medical and public health professionals from Nigeria, Zambia, and Ghana to Vanderbilt for the month of October. In addition to coursework and training sessions, VIGH Associate Director Muktar Aliyu, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H. and his wife hosted a welcome dinner for VIRDE scholars and VIGH faculty and staff.
The VIRDE course provides intensive training in research development and productivity, and is intended to further develop the skills necessary to conduct responsible human subjects’ research and develop a grant proposal for submission. Scholars are matched with a Vanderbilt faculty mentor who shepherds them through the grant development process. Additionally, VIRDE trainees complete 9 contact hours of specially tailored coursework in research ethics and research integrity. To date, 34 VIRDE Scholars completed the program and 62 percent of their grant submissions were awarded.
