The Fogarty International Center (FIC), at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced seven new awardees* for the International Collaborative Trauma and Injury Research Training Program (ICTIRT).

Supported by FIC, seven other NIH components**, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), this program covers research training in basic science and applied science, the epidemiology of risk factors, acute care and survival, rehabilitation, and long-term mental health consequences of trauma and injury.

"Most trauma and injury here at home and worldwide are completely preventable," said U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., FACS. "To reduce traumas and their heartbreaking results, we need answers that come from relevant and timely research. As a trauma nurse, a surgeon, and as Surgeon General, I look forward to the results of this important collaborative effort."

The program funds a collaboration between an institution in a high-income country and one in a low- or middle-income country. It involves training researchers at the master's, doctoral, and post-doctoral levels to tackle the increasing global burden of trauma and injury.

"Often overlooked, trauma and injury are leading causes of death and disability worldwide," said Sharon H. Hrynkow, Ph.D., FIC Acting Director. "This program allows us to train researchers from resource-poor settings to develop low-cost, locally-relevant interventions in emergency care, appropriate triage of critical patients, and injury prevention programs. The outcomes of this program will benefit partners abroad and U.S. communities."

According to WHO, six of the 15 leading causes of death in people aged 15 to 44 are connected to trauma. Each year, more than five million deaths — and countless disabilities — result from intentional and unintentional injury.

"The network of researchers and trainees started through this program is the first of its kind," said Aron Primack, M.D., FIC program officer.

Training may also focus on relatively low-cost technologies such as X-ray and ultrasound, ventilators, optimal resuscitation fluids, blood substitutes, and materials to cover wounds in burn victims.

The program provides up to $150,000 per year in direct costs for up to five years. FIC and its partners committed $4.2 million for the first five years of this program.

The Program Announcement is located at this URL: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-04-083.html. Additional information is on the FIC website: http://www.fic.nih.gov/programs/Trauma.htm.

* The awardees are:

The University of Rochester (Rochester NY) will work with the Center for the Study and Prevention of Suicide in the China Collaborative Suicide Research Training Program
Principle Investigator: Dr. Eric D. Caine
Partner: Dr. Sandra Chan

The University of Maryland (Baltimore Maryland) will train researchers in Injury Prevention Training in Egypt
Principle Investigator: Dr. Patricia C. Dischinger
Partner: Dr. Zeinab Yousef

The Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore Maryland) will train researchers at the Aga Khan University in Pakistan
Principle Investigator: Dr. Ellen J. MacKenzie
Partner: Dr. Judaid Razzak

The University of Washington (Seattle WA) will strengthen injury control research in Ghana
Principle Investigator: Dr. Charles N. Mock
Partner: Dr. Peter Donkor

The University of Iowa (Des Moines IA) will determine the scope of issues and then train researchers in injury-related health needs in Croatia
Principle Investigator: Dr. CorinnePeek-Asa
Partner: Dr. Aida Mujkic

Emory University (Atlanta GA) will train researchers at the University of Eduardo Mondlanein Mozambique
Principle Investigator: Dr. David W. Wright
Partner: Dr. Otilia Neves

UCLA (Los Angeles CA) will work with the UCLA-South African Research in Trauma Training Program
Principle Investigator: Dr. Gail E. Wyatt
Partner: Dr. Madu Sylvester

** The NIH Participating Organizations are:

Fogarty International Center (FIC/NIH)
(http://www.fic.nih.gov)

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI/NIH)
(http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov)

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB/NIH)
(http://www.nibib.nih.gov)

National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR/NIH)
(http://ninr.nih.gov/ninr/)

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA/NIH)
(http://www.niaaa.nih.gov)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH/NIH)
(http://www.nimh.nih.gov)

Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR/NIH)
(http://obssr.od.nih.gov/)

Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH/NIH)
(http://www4.od.nih.gov/orwh/)

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC/CDC)
(http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/)

The Fogarty International Center, the international component of the NIH, addresses global health challenges through innovative and collaborative research and training programs and supports and advances the NIH mission through international partnerships. NIH is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.