DGHI Travel Grants Pave Way for International Research Collaborations

National Institute of Immunohematology

The National Institute of Immunohematology in Mumbai (r) provides prenatal genetic services in the public sector

Published February 16, 2015, last updated on June 3, 2020 under Research News

For many global health researchers, international travel is one of the most exciting aspects of the job—but the cost of overseas research adds up quickly. To help offset these expenses, the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI) offers international travel awards of up to $5,000 to selected Duke faculty members pursuing research projects in low- or middle-income countries. 

Aimed at researchers looking to explore new collaborations at international sites, these awards are offered twice a year, in October and April. The next deadline, March 2, is quickly approaching. 

Proposals must reflect a focus on one or more of the DGHI research priorities and demonstrate potential for long-term external funding support. All Duke faculty—not just those based at DGHI—are eligible for the grant.

DGHI has been awarding these grants since 2009, supporting a wide range of projects in many different health areas and countries—from oncology in Uganda to mental health in Jordan. Read on to learn more about two recent grantees used their funding.

Grant Expands Scope of Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing Project in India

Last year, Subhashini (Shubha) Chandrasekharan, assistant research professor at DGHI, and two undergraduate global health students, Dechen Lama and Shilpa Sridhar, traveled to India to study the practical, ethical, legal and social challenges related to implementation of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in India. NIPT has considerable potential to improve prenatal care in India, but access to this technology is limited in many areas of the country due to cost, capacity and other factors.

Chandrasekharan said that without the travel grant, she and the students would have only been able to visit one or two locations in India. With the additional support, they were able to visit more than a dozen hospitals, NGOs, and other organizations in five locations. This extensive travel within India afforded the team a rich, immersive experience in which they observed striking contrasts in health care in public vs. private facilities, rural vs. urban settings, and in the northern part of the country vs. the southern part.

“This was an incredible learning experience for all of us,” Chandrasekharan reflected. “Seeing the vast differences in how health care is delivered across India was eye-opening, even for me as a native of India. And the opportunity to meet with such a range of experts really enriched our research.”

This project was also supported by Bass Connections funding. Read the recent blog post, “Namaste!,” to get the students’ perspective on the trip.

Grant Supports Exploration of Stroke Rehabilitation Care in China

Janet Prvu Bettger, associate professor at the School of Nursing and Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), used her travel grant to supplement an existing research project to adapt, implement, and evaluate a transitional care program focused on stroke rehabilitation in rural China. The nurse-led model teaches stroke patients and family caregivers how to continue their therapy and stroke management program after being discharged home from the hospital.

With the travel funds, she visited the villages where the pilot sites are located to participate in focus groups of the health care providers. The goal of these meetings was to better understand perceived value of rehabilitation as part of stroke care, barriers to this model of care delivery, and attitudes on shifting some stroke recovery tasks to nurses. She also met with the project’s principal investigators to incorporate information from these focus groups into plans for future projects.

“This trip allowed us to take a leap forward with improving plans for the upcoming trial,” Bettger commented. “This was an unparalleled opportunity for walking through different parts of the intervention and engaging with front line healthcare providers and administrators to discuss their priorities and other possibilities for future collaboration. Team science at its finest.”

Learn more about the travel grant requirements. Applications are due March 2.

Seeing the vast differences in how health care is delivered across India was eye-opening. The opportunity to meet with such a range of experts really enriched our research.

Subhashini Chandrasekharan, assistant professor