Resource Centers
The focus of the UM/FIC program at its inception in 1996 was improving research and training capacity in South Africa. During the course of the grant, it became clear that there existed pockets of expertise in EOH in various areas of the Southern Africa region. These groupings needed additional resources, particularly human resources, and assistance developing both research agendas and post-graduate programs in EOH.
An assessment of locations was conduced and included key considerations about each site, including:
- stability of parent institution
- level of developing fields in EOH
- committment of individual academics
- level of teaching and training activities
- presence of suitable mentors
Based on this criteria, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe were chosen for their broad grouping of organizations and institutions that would allow for the establishment of a "virtual" Resource Center.
In each country, the Resource Center is a consortium of institutions and organizations with interests and responsibilities in EOH. While each RC is led by that country's academic institution with the strongest interest and track record in EOH, they work together with other academic institutions and scientific institutes. Each RC is under the leadership of a national review committee (NRC) with representation from all these organizations, other labor union and employer stakeholders as well as national governmental and non-governmental agencies. This structure helps ensure that the various EOH actors in the country will jointly plan activities, linking the academic institutions with the governmental and non-governmental organizations that are responsible for translating EOH training and research into public health practice. This structure, as well as the close collaboration with a contemporaneous intervention-oriented Swedish-funded program titled "Work and Health in Southern Africa" (WAHSA), helps to ensure that EOH research findings will inform policy and have practical effects in improving environmental and occupational health and safety.
For each Center, funding is provided for:
- Salary for an in-country Program Coordinator
- Full tuition & stipend for post-graduate Diploma & Degree programs at one of three South African Universities (UCT, UKZN, Wits)
- Support for Fogarty-funded doctoral students to undergo intensive three-month training in relevant research methods at the University of Michigan
- Direct funding of research projects
- Assistance with curriculum development
