Description

This professional development course focuses how to develop and conduct international research. Topics include proposal writing, quantitative and qualitative study designs, preparation of study instruments and study budget, grants management, research ethics, human subjects review, data management, and the preparation of oral presentations, abstracts, posters, and manuscripts.

The course was developed to satisfy the requirement for National Institute of Health (NIH) trainees to receive formal training in the responsible conduct of research. It was also created to provide students and fellows anticipating a research-oriented career with the tools they need to develop and design a research study, write a successful proposal, and conduct research independently in an international setting.

Although the lectures use examples of HIV research in Kenya, the concepts can be applied to other research and countries.

You can also download the course syllabus.

You are required to take a Course Policy Quiz to ensure you understand policies and grading for this course.

Instructor

Instructor: Alison Drake, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor, Global Health
University of Washington

Alison Drake (she/her) is an epidemiologist and Associate Professor at the University of Washington in the Department of Global Health. She received her MPH in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Washington. She is currently an Assistant Director of the Global Center for Integrated Health of Women, Adolescent, and Children (Global WACh), co-Director of the Family Planning Decision Support Scientific Priority Area for Global WACh, and Director of the Global WACh Graduate Certificate. Dr. Drake’s research interests include HIV prevention among women and adolescents, incident maternal HIV infections, mother-to-child HIV transmission, adolescent reproductive health, and family planning. She is the principal investigator for a K01 award to optimize repeat HIV testing for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in Kenya and a study on determinants of contraceptive use among postpartum Kenyan adolescents at risk of HIV.

Student Support

If you have any questions, please reach out to edgh@uw.edu. Our dedicated and knowledgeable staff are ready to assist you promptly.

Course Announcements for System Issues

If you experience broken links or system-wide problems (e.g., videos not playing), please check the course Announcements first. The eDGH support team will post updates and fixes there.

Course Learning Objectives

After completing this course, you will be able to:

  • Identify and describe key components of a successful grant proposal and understand the grant application and review process.
  • Discuss ethical dilemmas faced by international and domestic researchers and the importance of scientific integrity in research.
  • Describe major aspects of project implementation, including submission of materials to domestic and foreign IRBs, creation of study instruments, database development, data management, and research budgets.
  • Explain best practices of study design and proposal development.

Target Audience

This course is designed for people working in global or public health. Although previous research experience is not required, this course may be challenging for someone who does not have strong writing skills, is not prepared to start developing independent research ideas, or begin writing grant proposals.

Format

This is a self-paced, online modular course divided into 10 weeks. It will be delivered entirely online. 

Participants are expected to review the pre-recorded weekly lectures, complete assigned readings and activities, and participate in discussion via the discussion forums. Most participants will also meet with a local study group that is led by a site facilitator. This is meant to increase opportunities for discussion about the relevance of the material to the local setting. Completion of a final course evaluation is strongly encouraged for successful completion of the course.

If you have any questions, please look at the course FAQ. If your question isn't answered there, please email edgh@uw.edu.

Materials

All reading materials for this course are provided, in PDF form, or by linking to online sources.

Grading

To be successful in the course you will need to complete all of the learning activities listed.

Activity Percentage
Assignments (10 points each, 5 total) 50%
Discussion Forums (2 points each, 5 total) 10%
Quizzes (4 points each, 10 total) 40%
Total 100%

Submitting Assignments

All assignments for this course will be submitted electronically through Moodle. Assignments must be submitted by the given deadline.

Viewing Grades in Moodle

Points you receive for graded activities will be posted to the Moodle Grade Book.

Quizzes will be graded upon submission. Grades are posted by the end of the day Monday after an assignment is due. If you submit your assignment late (after the due date), please allow at least 24 hours for your grade to be updated. We do not update late submission grades over the weekend.

Participants have access to their course for a defined period, which includes a four-week period after the course ends. During this time, scores on graded activities can be viewed and downloaded from within the course platform. After access ends, grades are no longer available and cannot be retrieved.

Please note:

  • eDGH does not retain or provide grade reports after course access ends.
  • eDGH does not issue academic transcripts.
  • Certificates of completion serve as the official record of participation and include CEUs (Continuing Education Units) earned.

We recommend downloading your grades during the course or shortly after it ends if you wish to retain a personal copy.

Assignments

Written Assignments

There are several written assignments throughout the course. The assignments will give you an opportunity to practice drafting parts of a research grant and other related materials. Answer keys are provided once you submit your assignment.

Discussion Forums

Your participation in the discussion forums is critical for maximizing your learning experiences in this course. Please refer to the information on posting to discussion forums to read about expectations for posting.

Quizzes

Quizzes will open when the module opens. You will have 2 attempts on each quiz. The learning management system will record your highest score.

Optional Learning Activities

In some modules, we have included optional learning activities. These contain additional resources, learning activities, and downloadable resources. Completing these optional activities is for your own enrichment and will not count toward your grade.

Note: there is no final exam.

Certificate of Completion

Active participation is required in order to receive a Certificate of Completion for the course. To receive a Certificate of Completion from the University of Washington, USA, you must pass the course, which means getting a final score of 70% or higher on all graded activities. Certificates will be distributed digitally after completion requirements have been verified. 

If you are a site participant, you must earn a qualifying score and attend 3 of the site meetings your site will hold. Attendance at more, if offered, is encouraged but not required to meet the site participation requirement. After the course, site participant certificates will be sent to site coordinators for distribution.

Late Work Policy

We will NOT accept assignments submitted by email or posted in discussion forums. Additionally, no assignments will be accepted after the course has ended.

Commitment to Academic Integrity

Commit to Integrity

As a participant in this course you are expected to maintain high degrees of professionalism, commitment to active learning and participation in this class and also integrity in your behavior in and out of the classroom.

Definitions

"Plagiarism is defined as the use of the words, ideas, diagrams, etc., of publicly available work without appropriately acknowledging the sources of these materials. This definition constitutes plagiarism whether it is intentional or unintentional and whether it is the work of another or your own, previously published work. Plagiarism is a very serious offense that the University of Washington's eDGH Program does not tolerate."

Enforcement

Corroborated reports of plagiarism, cheating, or other misconduct will result in no credit on that assignment and may result in suspension from the course and ban from participation in future courses.

Library Resources

The University of Washington offers a comprehensive collection of resources for continuing education participants, providing access to valuable research materials, academic databases, and global health tools. These resources can help expand knowledge, support research, and facilitate lifelong learning.

  • Unpaywall: A free, legal browser extension that helps you find open-access versions of research articles. If an article is behind a paywall, Unpaywall searches for an openly available copy in institutional repositories or preprint servers.
  • PubMed Central (PMC): A free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences literature from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). PMC provides unrestricted access to millions of peer-reviewed articles.
  • PubMed: A widely used search engine for scientific and medical research. To access free articles, use the "Free full text" filter on the left-hand side of the search results page.
  • Global Health Toolkit: A UW curated collection of global health resources. Articles and tools without a lock icon are freely accessible to the public, making it a valuable reference for global health professionals and researchers.

Use of AI Tools in This Course

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Google Bard) can be useful for tasks such as clarifying complex concepts or refining your writing for better readability. You are welcome to use AI in these ways to support your learning.

However, using AI to generate or significantly revise responses for course assignments, activities, or discussion posts is not permitted and constitutes academic misconduct. Copying and pasting AI-generated content or feeding assignment prompts into AI tools is not allowed. These practices undermine your learning, as this course is designed to help you develop your own skills and express your own ideas.

Grammar, spelling, and phrasing will not be graded in this course; the focus is on the clarity and depth of your ideas rather than perfect language.

Keep in mind that AI-generated content can contain factual inaccuracies or misinterpretations, particularly in complex scientific discussions. Always verify information before using it.

If you have any questions about the appropriate use of AI in this course, please reach out for clarification.

Watch this video for more information and resources.


Religious Accommodations

eDGH uses the UW's policy on religious accommodations for participants who need to make special arrangements in meeting course deadlines due to reasons of faith or conscience or for religious activities. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course by contacting edgh@uw.edu.

Copyright Statement

All content associated with this course is copyrighted. This includes the syllabus, assignments, reading lists, and lectures, as well as any material generated by your fellow students. Within the constraints of "fair use", you may copy these materials for your personal use in support of your education. For example, you may download materials to your computer for study, but you may not copy the materials and distribute or upload to a website. Such "fair use" by you does not include further distribution by any means of copying, performance or presentation beyond the circle of your close acquaintances, student colleagues in this class and your family. If you have any questions regarding any use violates the creator's copyright interests, please feel free to email edgh@uw.edu.