Global Health Faculty Pilot Research Grant

The Center for Global Health funds several pilot research grants each year up to $20,000 for a 12-month period. The primary purpose is to stimulate research in low and middle-income countries, with the larger goal of enabling investigators to leverage preliminary findings and data to obtain larger awards of external funding. Proposals must be for activities in low-and middle-income countries. A listing of eligible countries can be found at the World Bank.

The Center of Global Health and its Advisory Board has a special interest in projects that focus on COVID-19, emerging infectious diseases, and surveillance of COVID-19 and emerging infectious diseases in LMIC. Consideration this cycle will also be given for domestic global health projects in the U.S territories (such as Puerto Rico), as well as projects that address disadvantaged populations in the U.S. such as Native Americans, refugees, immigrants, undocumented persons and migrant workers.

Applicants must describe plans for how the results generated will be applied to future external funding. Applications that include matching funds will be given preference.

It is not necessary to have regulatory (e.g., IACUC, IRB, etc.) approvals to apply for this grant; however, applicable approvals must be in place and documented before funding is released.

Allowable research topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Studies assessing the prevalence of diseases, behaviors, or health conditions.
• Pilot studies assessing the effectiveness of novel health intervention strategies.
• Assessment of the acceptability, feasibility, and/or safety of health interventions.
• Health services research targeted to low-income settings.
• Formative research (including qualitative studies) to develop novel health intervention strategies.
• Development of health technologies appropriate for low-income countries in which in-country assessment is part of the research plan.
• Laboratory studies using samples from low-income settings.

Principal Investigator (PI) must have primary faculty appointment at MUSC at the time of application, and must be an Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor. Those in “visiting” or “adjunct status” or those with pending appointments are not eligible.

Early-career investigators are encouraged to apply.

Applicants must not have existing funding that can support the proposed research.

Proposals may include collaborators from other institutions but the PI must be MUSC faculty.

Proposals must include a plan for leveraging this award for future external funding support.

Applications focusing exclusively on travel, conference attendance, or organizing conferences and meetings will be considered non-responsive to the RFA.

Applications proposing to provide health interventions, services, and capacity-building activities that are not directly linked to proposed research will be considered non-responsive to the RFA.

Application Format: Arial 11-point font size, at least 0.5” margins, single space and numbered pages.

Submission Format: Combine all required elements into a single pdf document saved with the following naming convention: (current year) Global Health Faculty Pilot Grant – (PI name) – (Proposal title). Submit via email to ellisk@musc.edu.

1. Project Description/Global Health Relevance: Provide a NIH-formatted, one-half page description. State the application's broad, long-term objectives, relevance to global health in low and middle-income countries, and specific aims. Summary should serve as a succinct and accurate description of the proposed work when separated from the application.
2. Research Proposal: (6-page limit). Follow the NIH instructions for Research Strategy. The page limit excludes references, support letters and technical appendices.
   • Statement of research objectives and specific aims
   • Significance of the research
   • Preliminary data (if relevant)
   • Proposed research design and methods, and plans for data collection, management and analysis
   • Description of the research team, research setting, and the site collaboration plan
   • Include the plans and estimated timeline for receiving IRB clearance at both MUSC and in the country where the study will be conducted. Specify which institutions and national agencies in the host country will require ethical clearance. If you believe that the study is exempt from IRB approval at either MUSC or in the host country, provide a rationale for exemptions.
3. Future Funding Plan: Include a one-half page detailed plan addressing the timeline for the study, and post-study submission timeline for a larger, external grant. Include a comprehensive plan for use of the data/outcomes from this study to seek additional research funding, and anticipated dates of submission for subsequent funding. Investigators are encouraged to cite a specific RFA or Program Announcements from potential funders of the future study.
4. Budget and Justification: Please use the PHS 398 Form, Page 4: Digital Budget for Initial Budget Period and use Continuation Format Page as needed for the budget justification. Faculty salary support is not allowed. All expenses must be directly related to proposed research. Facilities and administrative costs, also known as indirect costs, are not permitted
5. Letters of Support: A letter of support from a collaborating in-country investigator is strongly encouraged, but optional. Letters of support should be submitted as part of the single PDF file with the proposal, references and technical appendices. Include no more than three documents such as reports and papers, survey instruments, and illustrations. Reference section should be limited to two pages. Technical appendices that contain material normally included within a proposal should not be attached and will not be considered.
6. NIH Biographical Sketch: Use the most recent NIH format and include the biographical sketch for PI and any co-investigators. Personal statement of Co-Investigators must describe his/her role in the project.
7. Matching Funds (if applicable): We encourage (but do not require) applicants to seek matching funds. Applications with matching funds will be given a higher priority. If matching funds are available to the investigator, submit a signed statement from the PI and the provider of matching funds, as part of the single PDF proposal document. Clearly indicate the source and amount of matching funds. The match can be from PI’s Department/Division, Center or Foundation grants but cannot be from existing grants.

Applications will be evaluated by reviewers with substantial expertise in research and in reviewing grants. Preference will be given to the most promising applications based on scientific merit, innovation, impact, and feasibility to become the basis of a competitive extramural research grant application.

Review criteria include:

• Standard NIH criteria (significance, innovation, approach, and investigative team).
• Likelihood that preliminary results will lead to external funding.
• Future funding plan (see instructions) must describe how the funds will provide data that is critical to future extramural grant application(s).
• Priority given to matching funds.

Project title: Global Collaborative Palliative Care Nursing Education Initiative

• Principal investigator: Carrie Cormack, DNP
• Project award: $20,000
• Location: Eswatini, Africa
• Project objective: Recognizing the urgent need for palliative care training in Eswatini, this initiative will enhance nursing education and clinical capacity at the Good Shepherd College of Health Sciences. Through faculty training, curriculum development, and cross-institutional clinical collaborations, the project aims to improve palliative care delivery and patient outcomes in resource-limited settings.

Project title: Examining the Acceptability of In-country Wheelchair for Ugandan Children and Adults with Disabilities

• Principal investigator: Cynthia Dodds, PT, Ph.D.
• Project award: $20,000
• Location: Masindi, Uganda
• Project objective: This study will compare the user experience and durability of a locally manufactured wheelchair, the Kyaninga model, to the imported RoughRider wheelchair in Uganda. By assessing mobility-related quality of life, maintenance needs, and long-term usability, the project aims to inform sustainable solutions that increase wheelchair access and improve independence for individuals with disabilities.

Project title: Using Mobile Ultrasound Technology for Early Detection of High-Risk Pregnancies to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes: Pilot Study in Tigray Region of Ethiopia

• Principal investigator: Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Ph.D.
• Project award: $20,000
• Location: Tigray Region of Ethiopia, Africa
• Project objective: This project will introduce mobile ultrasound technology to the Tigray region of Ethiopia, aiming to detect high-risk pregnancies early and improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. By training healthcare providers to use portable ultrasound devices and integrating remote image interpretation, the study seeks to reduce preventable pregnancy-related complications in a post-conflict region where healthcare infrastructure remains fragile.

Project title: Feasibility and effectiveness of standard World Health Organization-recommended treatment in a community setting for Buruli ulcer in Togo: a prospective pilot study

• Principal investigator: Richard Lueking, M.D.
• Project award: $20,000
• Location: Southern Togo, Africa
• Project objective: To improve access to treatment for Buruli ulcer, a neglected tropical disease that causes debilitating skin ulcers, this project will evaluate the feasibility of a community-based care model in Togo. By integrating portable PCR diagnostics and training local healthcare workers, the initiative will provide more timely diagnosis and treatment while reducing the burden of travel for affected patients in rural areas.

The Impact of Dynamic Glycemia Changes on TB Treatment Outcomes in Bangladesh

• Principal investigator: Yosra Mohamed Ahmed Alkabab, M.D.
• Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
• MUSC Department Engaged: Medicine - Infectious Disease
• Partners: International Centre of Diarrheal Disease Research

Efficacy and Cost-effectiveness of Automated Vision Screening and Refraction in Young Children in Belize

• Principal investigator: Mae Millicent Winfrey Peterseim, M.D.
• Co-investigator: Eliza Barnwell, M.D., College of Medicine
• Location: Belize
• MUSC Department Engaged: Ophthalmology
• Partners: Belize Council for the Visually Impaired

Retrospective study to inform implementation of a shortened TB treatment regimen in Ethiopian children (RISE-Children)

• Principal investigator: Lauren Powell, D.O.
• Co-investigators: Susan Dorman, M.D., College of Medicine, and Mekonnen Teferi, D.V.M., Armauer Hansen Research Institute
• Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• MUSC Department Engaged: Pediatrics - Infectious Disease
• Partners: Armauer Hansen Research Institute

Assessment of Variation between LMIC and HIC Surgical Resident Training Experience and the Development of a Universal Case Log System for LMIC Settings

• Principal Investigator: Mike Mallah, M.D., College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: Edgar B. Rodas, M.D., Virginia Commonwealth University; C. Sierra Stingl, M.D. Stanford University; Benjamin Cassidy, Virginia Commonwealth University
• MUSC Department Engaged: Surgery
• Partner: Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons

Assessment of Maternal Recognition of Neonatal Sepsis Following Implementation of Standardized Newborn Discharge Education in Western Uganda

• Principal Investigator: Lacey MenkinSmith, M.D., MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: Andrea Summer, M.D., College of Medicine; Kathryn Koval, M.D., College of Medicine; Christopher Daly, M.D., College of Medicine; Ian Kane, M.D., College of Medicine; Anthony Alerre, College of Medicine
• MUSC Department Engaged: Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Partners: Masindi Kitara Medical Center

Impacting the Sustainability of Health and Economic Self-Sufficiency Through an Organic Farming Business Model in Rural Ghana

• Principal Investigator: Cynthia Swenson, Ph.D., College of Medicine
• MUSC Department Engaged: Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Kidney Transplantation in Tanzania: A Retrospective Study of Patient Characteristics and Outcomes

• Principal Investigators: Amanda Parks, M.D., and Zipporah Krishnasami, M.D., MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences: Paschal J Ruggajo, M.D.; Francis Fredrick, M.D.; Muhimbili National Hospital: Jonathan Mngumi, M.D.; Jacqueline Shoo, M.D.; Faraja Chiwanga, M.D.
• MUSC Departments Engaged: Infectious Disease, Nephrology

Identifying Cohort for Gene Therapy in Costa Rican Children with Retinal Dystrophy

• Principal Investigator: Mae Millicent Peterseim, M.D., MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: Dayna Wolff, Ph.D., MUSC College of Medicine; Joaquin Martinez, M.D., National Children’s Hospital, San Jose
• MUSC Departments Engaged: Ophthalmology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

VIA Screening Methods to Prevent Cervical Cancer in Ethiopia: Database for Surveillance of HPV and Associated Risk Factors

• Principal Investigator: Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Ph.D., College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: Jeff Korte, Ph.D., MUSC College of Medicine; Kathleen Cartmell, Ph.D., Clemson University; Tadesse Urgie, M.D., Saint Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College; Mebrahtu Abay, MPH, and Semaria Solomon, MSc, Aksum University
• MUSC Department Engaged: Public Health Sciences

Community Navigation to Address Hypertension Management in Rural Belize

• Principal Investigator: Jessica Chandler, Ph.D., MUSC College of Nursing
• Co-investigators: Suparna Qanungo, Ph.D., and Martina Mueller, Ph.D., MUSC College of Nursing; Dr. Jorge Sajia, Corozal Community Hospital and Deputy Regional Health Manager
• Partner: Northern Region of Belize Ministry of Health

Development of a Kenyan Stakeholder-Informed Palliative Care Research Agenda

• Principal Investigator: Kathleen Cartmell, Ph.D., MUSC College of Nursing
• Co-investigators: Suparna Qanungo, Ph.D., MUSC College of Nursing; Maryellen Potts, Ph.D., University of Kansas; Richard Powell, MS, and Faith Mwangi-Powell, Ph.D., MWAPO Health Development Group; Ali Zipporah, M.D., MPH, Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association

Feasibility of Focused Cardiac Ultrasound Performed at Mid-Levels of the Healthcare System in Tanzania

• Principal Investigator: Susan Dorman, M.D., MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: Peter Zwerner, M.D., and Eric Powers, M.D., MUSC College of Medicine; Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI): Mohamed Janabi, M.D., Ph.D.; Delilah Kimambo, M.D.; Robert Pallangyo, M.D.
• Partner: Tanzania Muhimbili National Hospital
• MUSC Departments Engaged: Infectious Disease, Cardiology

Improving Quality of Life for Children with Cerebral Palsy in Vietnam: Implementation of Intensive Models of Rehabilitation

• Principal Investigators: Patty Coker Bolt, Ph.D., OTR/L, and Craig Velozo, Ph.D., OTR/L, MUSC College of Health Professions
• Co-investigators: Stephanie DeLuca, Ph.D., Virginia Tech; Craig Volozo, Ph.D., OTR/L, MUSC College of Health Professions; Baudewijns Johan, Humanity Inclusion, Vietnam
• Partners: HoChi Minh City Children’s Hospital; Hanoi Rehabilitation Hospital

Strengthening Food Security by Changing Village Farming Practices in Rural Ghana: The Nkabom Organic Farming Project

• Principal Investigator: Cynthia Swenson, Ph.D., Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: Samuel Nkrumal Yeboah and Nana Ama Yeboah, Project Okurase in Ghana; Isaac Owu Nkabom, Organic Garden; Carmen Ketron, MUSC Urban Farm

Nurse-Led Education and Engagement for Diabetes Care in Sub-Saharan Africa (NEEDS)

• Principal Investigators: Michelle Nichols Ph.D., MUSC College of Nursing, and Art Singh, M.D., KNUST Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
• Co-investigators: Carolyn Jenkins, DrPH, and Suparna Qanungo, Ph.D., MUSC College of Nursing

Stroke Information Surveillance System (SISS) in Nigeria

• Principal Investigator: Bruce Ovbiagele, M.D., Neurology, MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: University of Ibadan: Mayowa O Owolabi, DrMed, MBBS; Onoja Akpa, Ph.D.; Joshua Akinyemi, Ph.D.; Oluwafemi Popoola, MB, MSc; Rufus Akinyemi, Ph.D., Issa Kehinde; Oyedunni Arulogun, Ph.D., MPH; Olaniyan Olanrewaju, Ph.D., MSc; MUSC: Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Ph.D., and Anbesaw Selassie, DrPH, Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine; Carolyn Jenkins, DrPH, College of Nursing

Long Distance Travel for HIV-Related Care in Tanzania: Burden or Choice?

• Principal Investigator: Virginia Fonner, Ph.D., MUSC College of Medicine, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
• Co-investigators: Samuel Likindikok, M.D., Muhumbili University of Health and Allied Sciences; Faraja Chiwanga, M.D., Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania

HIV Oral Self-Testing in Tanzania

• Principal Investigator: Jeffrey Korte, Ph.D., Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine
• Co-investigator: Mulugeta Gebregziabher Ph.D., Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine
• Partner: Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania

Menstrual Education and Personal Hygiene Supplies to Empower Young Women in Haiti

• Principal Investigator: Patty Coker Bolt, Ph.D., OTR/L, MUSC College of Health Professions
• Co-investigator: Janet O’Flynn, OTC, Episcopal University of Haiti
• Partner: Days for Girls

A Preliminary Investigation of Assets and Challenges Affecting Health and Participation after Spinal Cord Injury in India

• Principal Investigators: Susan Newman, Ph.D., and Suparna Qanungo, Ph.D., MUSC College of Nursing
• Partner: Empowering Spinal Cord Injured Persons (ESCIP) Trust India

Survey of HIV Testing at Nairobi VAP Football Tournaments

• Principal Investigator: Jeff Korte, Ph.D., Public Health Sciences, MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-Investigators: Carolina Vrana and Danielle Stevens, Ph.D. students, MUSC College of Graduate Studies; Samson Chama, Ph.D., Oakwood University
• Partner: Vijana Amani Pamoja - Kenya

Patient Navigation to Enhance Palliative Cancer Care Services in Rural India

• Principal Investigators: Suparna Qanungo, Ph.D., and Kathleen Cartmell, Ph.D., MUSC College of Nursing
• Co-investigators: Martina Mueller, Ph.D., and Barbara Edlund, RN, Ph.D., MUSC College of Nursing
• Partner: Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre and Research Institute in India

Lipidomic Profile and Contaminants Associated with Pansteatitis in South Africa

• Principal Investigator: John Bowden, Ph.D., MUSC College of Graduate Studies
• Co-investigators: Theresa Cantu and Jacqueline Bangma, Ph.D. students, MUSC College of Graduate Studies
• Partner: University of Limpopo, South Africa

Immune Regulation by Arsenic

• Principal Investigator: Azizul Haque, Ph.D., MUSC College of Graduate Studies
• Co-investigators: Abigail Lauer, MS, Public Health Sciences, MUSC College of Medicine; Abu Noman, Ph.D., University of Chittagong, Bangladesh

Genetic Analysis of Children and Families with Retinal Dystrophy in Costa Rica

• Principal Investigator: Mae Millicent Peterseim, M.D., MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: Daynna Woolf, Ph.D., MUSC College of Medicine
• Partner: National Children’s Hospital of Costa Rica
• MUSC Departments Engaged: Ophthalmology, Pathology and Lab

Health and Simulation in Midwifery Curriculum in India

• Principal Investigator: Jennifer Shearer, Ph.D., MUSC College of Nursing
• Co-investigator: Leena Raj, MSc, College of Nursing, Bangalore Baptist Hospital in India

Establishment of a Pilot Telemedicine Network in Honduras

• Principal Investigator: Andrea Summer, M.D., MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: James McElligott, M.D., and Ken Holden, M.D., MUSC College of Medicine
• MUSC Departments Engaged: Pediatrics, Neurology

Improving Health Through Implementation of a Village-Based Complex Biogas System

• Principal Investigator: Cynthia Swenson, Ph.D., Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigator: Sara Logan, Ph.D., MUSC College of Medicine

Community Assessment for Phone-Based Intervention under Nurse Guidance after Stroke (CA for PINGS)

• Principal Investigators: Carolyn Jenkins, DrPH, MUSC College of Nursing, and Bruce Ovbiagele, M.D., Neurology, MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: Frank Treiber, Ph.D., MUSC College of Nursing; Fred Sarfo, Ph.D., Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana

Partnership Screening Program for Sickle Cell Disease in St. Vincent and the Grenadines

• Principal Investigator: Julie Kanter, M.D., MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigator: Shelly Ann-Williams, M.D., MUSC College of Medicine
• Partner: The Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• MUSC Departments Engaged: Pediatrics Hematology/Oncology, Pediatrics

Spatiotemporal and Regional Variation in HIV Testing

• Principal Investigator: Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Ph.D., MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: MUSC College of Medicine: Patrick Mauldin, Ph.D., Andrew Lawson, Ph.D., Anbesaw Selassie, Ph.D., and Michael Sweat, Ph.D., Preston Church, M.D.
  Mekelle University, Ethiopia: Amanuel Haile, M.D., and Loko Bongassie, M.D.
• MUSC Departments Engaged: Public Health Sciences, Medicine, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Modeling Tobacco Control Policy in Mexico: A Tool for Public Health

• Principal Investigator: Kenneth Cummings, Ph.D., MPH, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-Investigator: James Thrasher, Ph.D., University of South Carolina
• Partner: Mexico Ministry of Health

Prevalence and Causes of Chronic Kidney Disease in Rural Tanzania

• Principal Investigator: David Ploth, M.D., Nephrology, MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigators: Philip Zager, M.D., University of New Mexico; Michael Sweat, Ph.D., MUSC College of Medicine
• Partner: Muhimibili University of Allied Health and Sciences (MUHAS), Tanzania
• MUSC Departments Engaged: Nephrology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Identification of Quorum-Sensing Inhibitors Targeting PqsR: A Novel Strategy to Treat Pseudomonas Infection

• Principal Investigator: Yong-Mei Zhang, Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MUSC College of Graduate Studies
• Co-investigator: Chen-Hang Sun, Ph.D., Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

Building Global Capacity for Pediatric Constraint-induced Movement Therapy in Low-Income Countries

• Principal Investigator: Patty Coker-Bolt, Ph.D., OTR/L, College of Health Professions
• Co-investigators: Michelle Woodbury, Ph.D., College of Health Professions; Eric Gokcen, M.D., Cure Ethiopia Hospital; Stephanie DeLuca, Ph.D., and Sharon Ramsey, Ph.D., Virginia Tech

Applying the Science of Early Childhood Development in Rural Ghana

• Principal Investigator: Eve Spratt, M.D., Pediatrics, MUSC College of Medicine
• Co-investigator: Jennifer Poon, M.D., Pediatrics, MUSC College of Medicine
• Partner: Project Okurase, Ghana