The University of Ghana and Partner Institution (New York University) Awarded a five-year National Institute of Health (NIH) Grant to Establish a Master’s Programme in Bioethics at the School of Public Health, Legon.

Dr. Amos Laar: Project Co-Principal Investigator and Ghana Lead, School of Public Health, University of Ghana.

We are pleased to inform the University community that Faculty members from the University of Ghana and collaborators from New York University (NYU) have been awarded a grant from the opportunity – “International Research Ethics Education and Curriculum Development Award (R25)” by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).  Titled “NYU-UG Research Integrity Training Program” the first phase of the program will run for a period of 5 years. The project aims to build sustainable research ethics and integrity capacity in Ghana, and will establish a Bioethics Program, which will provide master’s degrees in Bioethics at the University of Ghana.

Project summary

The project team will develop a program involving a fellowship in research integrity to create a critical mass of faculty leaders in research ethics. Some fellows will have the option of matriculating in NYU’s master’s degree program in bioethics upon successful completion of the fellowship. Beyond this stage of training, the ultimate goal of the project is to establish a Bioethics Program leading to a master’s degrees in Bioethics, at University of Ghana, School of Public Health.

Partnership:

The grant is a partnership between the New York University and the University of Ghana.  The University of Ghana lead/Principal Investigator is Dr. Amos Laar, a Senior Lecturer at the School of Public Health and being supported by five Co-Investigators: Professor Richard Adanu of the School of Public Health, Professor Philip Adongo of the School of Public Health, Professor Michael Okyerefo, Department of Sociology, Dr. Abdallah Ibrahim, School of Public Health, and Dr. Peter Atupare, School of Law, University of Ghana. Other experts (Consultants) on the project are Professor John Gyapong, and Dr. Ama Edwin, both of University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho.  

The US-based Principal Investigators on the project are Professor Arthur L. Caplan (Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and founding head of the Division of Bioethics at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City). Professor Olugbenga Ogedegbe (Professor of Medicine and Population Health, Director, Center for Healthful Behavior Change, NYU School of Medicine and Vice Dean, NYU College of Global Public Health).

The project’s Advisory Committee comprises eleven renowned experts, selected from around the world, and includes three Ghanaians: Professors Seth Ayettey, Joseph Ayee, and Appiah-Poku.

The University of Ghana would like to congratulate Dr. Amos Laar, his colleagues, and collaborators for winning the grant.

Dr. Amos Laar: Project Co-Principal Investigator and Ghana Lead, School of Public Health, University of Ghana.

Professor Richard Adanu: Co-Investigator, School of Public Health,University of Ghana.

Professor Philip Adongo: Co-Investigator, Schhool of Public Health, University of Ghana

Dr. Abdallah Ibrahim: Co-Investigator: School of Public Health, University of Ghana 

Professor Michael Okyerefo: Co-Investigator, Department of Sociology, University of Ghana

Dr. Peter Atupare: Co-Investigator, School of Law, University of Ghana.