Faculty Travel Awards

Program Summary
The NIH-funded MHIRT program trains UC Berkeley and other qualified Bay Area students in infectious disease research, by funding short-term research experiences outside the U.S. for undergraduate or doctoral students. Each year , the grant provide 2-3 months of support for up to 10 student research projects, to be conducted at a site in a foreign country, with co-mentoring by UC Berkeley faculty members and their international collaborators. One of the objectives of this program is to recruit Berkeley students who come from minority or under-represented backgrounds (including African, Hispanic and Native Americans, plus those from underprivileged backgrounds) into international health research. Another goal is to strengthen Berkeley’s ties with top universities abroad.

We are making available travel awards for faculty for further strengthening of the program, in particular travel  to strengthen existing relationships which are are may engage MHIRT fellows, or to establish new ones with new collaborators and institutions.  Awards may be used for a UC faculty member travelling abroad or to bring a foreign collaborator to the United States.

If awarded, MHIRT program staff at CEND will help arrange travel and ensure effective and prompt use of award funds.

Current and Past Research Partners (in alphabetical order)

• Bangladesh: International Centre for Diarhoeal Disease Research
• Brazil: FIOCRUZ, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Federal University of Bahia
• China: Xiamen University
• Ghana: University of Ghana, International Water Management Institute
• Guatemala: Universidad del Valle
• India: IIT- Kharagpur, Public Health Research Institute – Mysoru, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, St. John’s Research Institute – Bengaluru
• Kenya: Innovations for Poverty Action, University of Nairobi
• Nicaragua: Centro Nacional de Diagnostico y Referencia, Sustainable Sciences Institute
• Niger: Center for Excellence in Agronomy Research (CRESA)
• South Africa: Stellenbosch University, University of Pretoria, University of Witwatersrand
• Uganda: Makerere University, Mulago Hospital
• United States: UC Berkeley, U Michigan, UC San Francisco, Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute

Award Amount
$3,500 for UC faculty
$7,000 for foreign faculty

Application Deadline (Fall 2015-Spring 2016)

Expression of Interest: If you intend to apply for a travel award please notify us by September 1, 2015.

Applications for an award must be submitted by September 18, 2015.

Awards will be made competitively and announced on or near October 1, 2015. 

To Apply
Submit a proposal (no more than one page) describing the proposed purpose of the trip and how it may strengthen the MHIRT program and UC Berkeley’s collaborations abroad. Provide an outline of the travel schedule and budget.  Send via e-mail to Zilose Lyons (zilose@berkeley.edu).

Questions or Comments: Contact Zilose Lyons (zilose@berkeley.edu)